


Into The Wild

by AnaExpert



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, My First Fanfic, Sexy, will they won't they
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 98,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaExpert/pseuds/AnaExpert
Summary: This was my first fic posted back in the day in Fanfiction.net. I never reposted it because to be fairly honest, I believe I grew a bit as a writer, but still, this has that feel-good vibe from being a first fic.It's the story of Rogue and Gambit first getting together.The story is written based mainly the 90s X-Men: The Animated Series. In other words, my Rogue here flies and is not a teen. The beginning of it is set in the Savage Land. It is loosely inspired on episodes Till Death Do Us Part 1 and 2 and episode Red Dawn, all of season 2 X-Men: The Animated Series) Magneto and Xavier have been captured by Mr. Sinister. When the X Men arrive to rescue them, they realize they can't use their powers in the Savage Land.I hope you enjoy it and please, bear in mind, first fic written 11 years ago. I only cleaned up paragraphs a little bit and stuff. It is here in its full old-goldie entertaining glory. :D
Relationships: Jean Grey/Logan (X-Men), Jean Grey/Scott Summers, Kitty Pryde/Piotr Rasputin, Remy LeBeau/Rogue
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – BOYS N' GIRLS NIGHT IN

There was no amount of fine dining in fine lounges that could match the smallest speck of the joy that it was being with her friends, the family she chose, the X-Men. For no matter the weather or the place Rogue found herself in, it was there, being with them the only place she had ever felt at home.

Everyone was gathered for dinner, a rare event for the ever-busy mutants who trained and fought hard each and every day. Amongst all the missions they were assigned to, they all longed for some regular good friendly time together. Rogue looked around her and silently thanked the universe and every star above that they have made their way into her life, that their paths became woven so intricately.

Their beloved professor Xavier was not present that evening. He was on a trip to meet his friend - who also happened to be his archenemy - Magneto. Once again, the plan was to try to persuade Magneto to work with the X-Men, rather than against them. However, none of the teammates seemed too worried about their leader. They were chatting away after a hearty meal prepared by Gambit.

"Dinner was superb, Gambit."

"Merci, Beast."

"So, how's your research going, Beast?" Cyclops asked with interest.

"Well, not as smoothly as I anticipated, Scott. But thanks for asking anyway. Yesterday, I blew up the lab. Yet again. It's been the third time this month. But 'If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.' Einstein."

Scott gave a little chuckle.

"Nice quote! Well, Beast, you know how we are all so proud of your accomplishments in the field of genetics. We trust that with or without accidents along the way, you will reach your goals any time soon. We are sincerely hoping that you will be able to, to, to…"

"To discover whatever it is that you are trying to. And for fuck's sake, don't you try to tell us what it is again, 'cause we ain't never gonna get it." Wolverine interrupted with his hoarse voice.

"Wolverine, always so tactful." Storm commented, precariously trying to suppress a chuckle.

"Thanks for the compliment, Storm."

"Always welcome, my dear friend." She smiled and winked at him.

" Geez! Weren't we supposed to do some training sessions in the danger room tonight? That would be so much more fun!" Jubilee said with the best squeaky voice that she could manage. Who could blame her? It always worked with Logan.

Rogue cleared her throat and said, "Isn't it past your bedtime, Jubilee?"

"Oh, come on! It's only 10:30!"

"Well, maybe it's YOUR bedtime, chére. Gambit is always available to help you with that. Gambit can put you to bed right now if you wish. All you have to do is ask." He smirked at Rogue. He got his black and red eyes unashamedly staring at her breasts. She rolled her eyes and started playing with strands of her hair in a nervous self-conscious way.

"Don't you mind our friend Gambit, Rogue. You know how persistent he can be." Storm said calmly.

"I should put him in a coma one of these days. I bet that would wipe that smirk right out of his face."

He continued smiling at her as she'd just promised she would give him a thousand dollars.

"Chére, don't forget that I'm no Fred Flinstone, but I can make your Bedrock." He offered the lame line, hoping for the best, prepared for the worst.

Everyone started laughing out loud. Except for the author of those pretty little words and, of course, for Wolverine. The later rolled his eyes and stood up, walking slowly towards the door.

"Gotta get out of here. All this lovey-dovey talk is making me sick!"

"Come on, Wolverine. Don't be so harsh. Gambit was just joking around." Jean said.

"Say what, redhead? That was no joke! I am being serious here!" He said a little louder than it would have been normal. His brows were furrowed, he was genuinely offended by the accusation. He tried to reach for Rogue's hands, and apologize, but she promptly slapped him away.

"Chére, you know that it ain't no game. You know how Gambit is willing to treat you right for long, long temps."

"Gambit, perhaps you should update your repertoire of pickup lines. That was just plain lame!" Jean said. 

Rogue looked at him with a scornful smile and shook her head in amusement. When was Gambit ever going to learn? She thought to herself. It was not that she wouldn't be with him because she didn't want to. But her powers were always in the way of things. So, before she could fall for him and hurt herself, she chose to create this imaginary shield to protect her from his constant advances. She had to tell him off all the time. It was rather annoying. Flattering, well, yes, who wouldn't want to be flirted by an oh-so-goddamn-sexy guy like him. But she was beginning to wonder why he would never give up. Was it possible that he had genuine feelings for her?

If one thing truly terrified her, it was the prospect of falling in love with Remy LeBeau and having her heart crushed into pieces when he finally moved on to the next cute girl who was posing him a challenge.

"Now, hey, Logan. You're saying my talk makes you sick. It's funny you say so. You should watch yourself when we are in nights out at the bars in town and you get all drunk and start rambling on and on, going on and on about Jean!"

"OUCH! I guess you crossed the line there, Cajun!" Rogue said shaking her head.

"Now it's getting interesting."

"Jubilee!" Rogue said disapprovingly. "I don't believe you want to see these two fight. No good can come out of this."

"So, Gumbo! You want to talk lovey-dovey to my adamantium claws, now do you?"

When Wolverine was almost reaching Gambit, a soft voice come out of the speakers, startling everyone:

"There's a message for the X-Men from Professor Charles Xavier. Please go to the meeting room as soon as possible."

"Wow, lucky me!" Gambit said with a huge smile stamped on his face, lips stretching from one ear to the other.

"It is nothing bad, is it, Wolves?"

"Of course not, kid. This must be some sort of catch up from the Professor. Whatever he's been doing with his old pal, Magneto, wouldn't cause him any trouble. Magneto can never do Charles any harm. He can't handle his psychological attacks, so he just leaves the professor alone."

"OK, then. Cool! I was getting kinda worried."

As the group slowly made their way to the meeting room, Storm slowed her pace so that she could speak privately with Gambit.

"Remy, what's wrong with you? Are you missing some sort of sensitivity chip? Why do you keep on teasing Rogue?"

"Gambit is no dumbass, mon ami! I'm not doing that for fun."

"Are you not? That does not make much sense to me. You keep throwing yourself over every woman that crosses your path. But you're missing something here. Rogue is not any girl. I care for her. We all care for her. You know about her powers, her limitations, and how much that upsets her, and still, amazingly enough, you keep flirting and trying to charm her. Do you think that's even appropriate?"

"Storm, you gotta believe me. I know that no one does. But at least YOU have to believe me when I say I do have feelings for her."

"Well, it seems to me that you have feelings for everyone. Because, ever since I know you, bed-hopping has always been your favorite sport."

"Ouch! That hurt this Cajun here!" He said playfully. "Bon, if she doesn't give Gambit any hope, a boy's gotta do what a boy's gotta do, mon ami. And besides, I do believe that she has feelings for me too. "

"Is that so, Gambit?" She narrowed her eyes and cast a disapproving look at him. But before he had the chance to defend himself, Jubilee came running towards them. Something must have scared the life out of her. She was pale and trembling a bit.

"Storm! Gambit! You gotta come! Quick!"

" Hey! Calm down! What's going on, petite?"

"The professor! He needs our help!"

They ran to reach the room and were received by very concerned looking X-Men.

"Scott, what exactly is going on?"

"Professor Xavier and Magneto have apparently been captured. He's sent us a very confusing message. We couldn't understand much. Beast is trying to get the coordinates from where the message's been sent. We must act now. We gotta go and rescue them."

"Of course! Jean, how is it possible that you haven't sensed anything?" Storm asked curiously.

" I think the professor maybe unconscious by now, or maybe something has caused him to temporarily lose his powers. I really don't know. I don't know what to make of it. We had contacted each other earlier this week, he was on his way and reported no abnormalities. Everything was going according to his plan. He sent us this message from his plane, he didn't even try to contact me psychically, which is very odd and unlike him. He may have tried but something must have blocked it, I really don't know… " she looked down and shook her head. But they could all see a tear streaming down her face.

"Don't worry, honey. We'll get to him soon enough and we'll bring him back safely." Cyclops said, patting her on the back trying to console her. Wolverine narrowed his eyes at the scene.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go get him and kick some serious ass!"

"Yeah, Wolverine is right. Let's get going." Rogue said enthusiastically.

"I've just got the message exact coordinates. We can depart right now, my friends."

"Sure. Let's go! What are we waiting for?"

" Hey, not you, young lady. Somebody has to stay back in the mansion, in case the professor tries to contact us again." Storm said.

"Fuck! I DO NOT fucking believe it."

"Hey, watch your language, young lady! Apparently, you've been around me more than you should've. You're gonna stay here and that's that."

"Wolverine is right, Jubilee. We really need you to stay here. Now, the rest of us, to the blackbird. NOW!" Cyclops commanded.

And off they went. Ready to face the unknown. They would do whatever it took to rescue Charles Xavier. If they had to lay their lives for him, they would, without hesitance. Because that's what it meant to be one of the Uncanny X-Men.

As everyone entered the blackbird and adjusted to their seats, fastened their seatbelts, Rogue, one of the first to go in, looked out of the window pensively. She knew she should be worrying about professor Xavier, but instead she was still contemplating the possibilities with Gambit if she didn't have her powers. Then one thought crossed her mind. Maybe her appeal was exactly the fact that he couldn't touch her. He was not used to being refused by women, so, in his mind, she thought, that can only be a big turn on. She was the one he couldn't get, no matter how hard he tried. The one who seemed to have another inhuman power: the ability to ignore Gambit, Mr. Ladies man. Her line of thought was suddenly broken by the interruption of the passenger next to her. She threw him an annoyed look and sighed.

"Chére, do you work for UPS? I could have sworn I saw you checking my package." He said with a sneer and then chuckled at his own joke. "Sorry, I couldn't resist this one. You were checking me out before though, weren't you?"

"Oh, Gambit. This is going to be a long, long ride, isn't it?"

"Always hoping for that, mon amour. The ride with Gambit is always long."

Oh my, he was a machine! A tacky flirting machine! She rolled her eyes, considered changing seats for a while, but gave in. Everyone has their crosses to bear. He was hers. The little devil was not that bad, she decided. It took some great self-control not to slap his face every now and then, but she could handle him.

And the shameless flirting went on and on as they crossed the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Savage Land

What the X-Men didn't know is that they were led into a trap as they were heading to the Savage Island, a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica where Xavier and Magneto were being held by no other than Mr. Sinister.

The place was originally created by Magneto, using theories and methods developed by Professor Xavier, as the site for genetic experiments. Magneto's goal was to create a new human race that would be less trouble to rule than the current one. He decided to re-start evolution from scratch, and control the process to his own specifications; as a result of this, at its current level of advancement, the place was inhabited by dinosaurs. Magneto had seemingly shown no further interest in advancing the evolution of the Savage Land. He came back there, out of curiosity, just to check on its current progress. He invited Charles Xavier to join him on the short trip.

But to his utter disappointment and surprise, after a few days in the land he abandoned, he found out someone else took interest in his experiments and wanted to use the facilities left behind for his own genetic experiments. Mr. Sinister is a genius geneticist, a brilliant biologist, and a skilled surgeon who is well-practiced in the science of cloning. One thing was certain, he did not share Magneto's dream of a perfect society in the future. He wanted to gather DNA samples from the most powerful mutants. Doing that would allow him to replicate their abilities within his own body, making him invincible in the process.

Undeniably the greatest mutants on his list were under his control now. He couldn't be more content at the prospect of acquiring Magneto's and Xavier's mutant powers.

"Charles Xavier, I never knew capturing you would help my purposes to such an extent. Your DNA seems to be only a bonus. You are about to give me so much more than that."

Professor X gave him a startled look. What could possibly he be talking about? He had to admit the guy was one if perhaps not the greatest in the field of genetics and had probably accomplished more than anyone else in the area. What his intentions were exactly was a mystery to him, though.

Since he arrived, he realized his powers were gone, therefore, he could not tell for sure why Mr. Sinister had kept them there for days already. If he wanted to get their DNA samples, he could have started his procedures already. What was he waiting for? It was so confusing having to guess, he missed his powers so much. Mr. Sinister went on.

"It seems that I am getting more than I bargained for. That's such a thrill."

"What are you talking about, Sinister? Just say it already. Your rambling is somewhat ridiculous." Magneto intervened.

"Well, not only will I get the DNA of two of the most powerful mutants known to exist, but I'll also get a bonus for such an achievement. Charles, your mighty X-Men have just landed. So much for devoting your life to protecting humanity from the so-called evil mutants and saving innocent ones from human oppression. It was all in vain. I guess I'll watch them play around in the jungle a bit. A man is allowed some entertainment, isn't he? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, wouldn't you agree, my powerful guests? Now, Charles, your dear X-Men, those loved creatures of yours, the ones you recruited, protected and helped throughout your life shall perish by your side." The cientist let out an evil laugh.

"Nooooooo!"

X

"Scott, I can see Professor Charles' plane. Look!"

"Yeah, I think it is his plane alright. Prepare for landing, everyone."

As soon as the plane landed and its door was open, all the passengers rushed out of the plane towards Charles' small jet, only to find it empty and damaged at the wings, scattered pieces of the aircraft were all around the area.

"Rogue, can you lift these biggest pieces of debris? He could be trapped under them." Cyclops asked.

"Mmmm, I can't. It…is… too… heavy! Hey! My powers! They must be gone!"

"Wait a minute, chére. All it takes is one little card…"

"No, Gambit! I'll use my psychic powers to lift it up. That way no damage would come to the Professor should he be under it." Nothing happened, the large piece of metal simply didn't move. Meanwhile, Gambit had not been able to charge his card either.

"Clearly, you all seem to have lost your abilities. Fascinating!"

Right after this bombastic revelation, Gambit glanced at Rogue through the corner of his eye, trying to read her reactions. He couldn't help but linger a little longer, looking at her intensively. He tried but was unsuccessful in hiding a wide grin that crept on this face. She felt the weight of his stare and self consciously pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Her cheeks blushed, she could feel her pulse quickening, that joke of tell-tale heart she had. 'I hope nobody's noticing me', she thought. 'Think of the professor. We gotta find him. That's what we are here for' she repeated to herself in her head, trying to focus. 'That's why we are here!'

"But…I do not understand! How, Beast? How could it be possible?" Cyclops hammered his right closed fist into a tree near him.

"I am afraid I cannot answer that question accurately, my dear friend Scott. But I do have some theories. Perchance this is some controlled area. Have you noticed that we are in a jungle and our coordinates sent us to Antarctica? I believe someone must be doing some serious interference in nature here through scientific experimentation."

"Fuck, what is that even supposed to mean? You don't know shit about what's going on. That makes it two of us, then! We should start moving our asses. We gotta find the professor real quick."

"Wolvie, calm down."- the ever calm and patient Storm said. – "We should have a plan first, don't you think? This place is huge. How are we supposed to find him and cover all this land? If we separated into small groups or pairs, we could search more of the area in a shorter amount of time. And time is crucial now. What do you say, Scott?"

Jean replied before Cyclops could.

"That's actually a very good idea. There are seven of us. What about three teams? Maybe, teams could be me, Scott and Wolverine, then, Beast and Storm and then, Rogue and Gambit. That way we'd have the chance of finding them three times faster."

"Are you sure about Logan joining us?" Cyclops asked, his voice charged with indignation.

"Why the hell not?"

"Now that is going to be simply great, mes amis. Wish I could join you just to watch the three of you working together. Logan and Scott bickering all day long. Such a sight that will be."

"Tell me about it!" Scott whispered.

"It's not the time to make jokes, Gambit! Let's check our earpieces are working so that we can communicate properly. "

"Surprisingly, they are working, Storm! Isn't it curious?" Beast pondered. "Why would anyone deliberately deprive us of our powers but allow such simple things like communication devices function normally?"

"Good question, huh? Now, where is each team heading to?" Rogue asked.

"Well, as the women seem to be ruling and giving out orders today. Perhaps, you girls should tell us!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Scott. If that makes you feel better, we'll pass this ball to you, my love!" Jean conceded. Wolverine cringed at her last words. Gambit had to try hard not to laugh.

"As you insist, my team could go east, Storm and Beast could head north, Gambit and Rogue… hey, wait a minute! Gambit and Rogue? Together? No offense to you, Rogue. I know you are a tough girl and seemingly immune to Gambit's flirting, but, I believe you guys shouldn't be allowed together. Especially because you have lost your powers. No good can come out of this. I say they won't be able to focus."

Rogue blushed once again.

"Focus, my ass, Scott!"

"For the love of God! Gambit, you are on fire today, my friend! Let's not start fighting amongst ourselves. We have a mission that awaits! And a very important one! Let's concentrate on it!" Storm said, like a mother preaching her sons who wouldn't stop bickering.

"Well, I'm just saying. I don't want to compromise this mission! As you said, Storm, that is a hell of an important one! I suggest Wolverine works with Gambit and Rogue joins my team."

"No fucking way!" Wolverine and Gambit said almost at the same time.

"Ok, let's just keep it the way I had previously decided. For now. Gambit and Rogue, you can go south."

"Hey! I was the one deciding where everyone's supposed to go!"

"Not your day today, is it, pretty boy? Shut the fuck up and let's move!"

And the trio started running east. Cyclops didn't seem very thrilled about it but went along. The four remaining X-Men looked at each other a bit confused for a tiny fraction of a second.

"Ok, then. Let's go now, my friend Storm."

"Sure, dear. But before we go… Gambit, take good care of my friend, Rogue. When I say good care, not as good as you're probably thinking." He smirked at her recommendation, and mockingly sang:

"People always told me, be careful of what you do and don't go around breaking young girls' hearts. Yee hee."

"You are such a complete jerk, Gambit!"

"I love you too, Storm. But I love Rogue more!"

"Ok, lover man. You love everybody, we got that. But now it's time to go. Let's move it!" And Rogue started heading south.

"Hey, wait, chére. Don't need to get all jealous. You know that my heart truly belongs to you and to you only." She rolled her eyes at him with all her might, he smiled at her, thinking of how adorable she looked when she was mad at him.

X

"So, chére, don't you think that this is perfect? The two of us, finally together. With some well deserved alone time in our hands?"

"I don't know about that, Gambit. I know that we have to hurry and walk as fast as we can before it gets dark. There seem to be some freaking strange creatures around here, we should find a safe place to rest at night."

And she continued walking purposefully into the jungle. She was a bit ahead of him and couldn't foresee what he was about to do. In a quick movement, he pulled her by the waist a bit violently and turned her around so that she would face him. She gasped at that, he then threw his arms around her arms and pressed her body against his. The whole action was so fast that she didn't have any time to react. He leaned over until his lips were almost touching her left ear.

"Honey, there's no around here but us, you don't have to pretend you don't want me."

She had to admit it. Infuriating and arrogant as Gambit can be… those eyes, that grin, that body… it takes a girl's breath away.

"Cajun, I think this is not the right thing to do now. We have more important stuff to do. We gotta find Xavier so we can leave this place as soon as possible."

"I know, I agree with you. Not so sure about leaving so early, though. Especially now that we could touch if you wanted to. But, you have to agree with me on this one, a little kiss wouldn't delay our progress that much…"

They were so close, she could feel him. Feel all of him! His hot breath over her ear was nerve-wracking. There was no point resisting him. He raised one hand and gently touched her chin and caressed it softly while flashing her a warm, kind smile. He tilted his head to one side and gazed at her for a moment. The handsome man in front of her licked his lips, and just like that she kissed her.

Before moving his tongue in, he parted his lips slightly, pulled away a bit, building up more sexual tension between the two of them, and finally pushed his tongue inside her mouth. She didn't know exactly what to do with hers. Not like that happened every day in her life, so she simply followed suit. They kept kissing for what seemed to be hours. Savoring each moment of their first kiss, she let out a soft moan and it aroused him even more. Ever slowly, gently but passionate all together, he drank from her lips as if they held the key to his survival. After long as life moments, they finally parted.

"That was… mmm… nice…" she said. She was all flushed and embarrassed.

"I had better reviews, chére." He said jokingly. "And this time, you didn't suck the life outta me! Sweet! Let's get going, it's just that, I couldn't wait… being with you and being able to kiss you… I had to act on it as soon as I possibly could. Come on now, gimme your hand. Let's try and move faster."

"Ok, sugar."

"And here, gimme those gloves. I'll keep them in my pocket for you. You don't need them for now."

She smiled widely. She didn't need the gloves. Those gloves that meant imprisonment and also protection. Kissing Gambit had been the best thing that had happened to her in God knows how long. That was her first real kiss. The first kiss that she didn't absorb anyone's memories, physical strength, or abilities. She was still Rogue and Gambit was still Gambit. His secrets, wrongdoings, past, and lovers all in his own head, where they should be.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Into The Wild

The climate of a dense forest or jungle is usually hot. The Savage Land being some kind of jungle emulation was no different, with high temperatures averaging from 78 to over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity soared to what seemed to be almost 100% of it in the air. One feels like they are breathing water. The conditions were not the best for the X-Men to raid the jungle as quickly and efficiently as they hoped to. What they didn't know is that they would eventually find Charles Xavier, not by their own doing, but because Mr. Sinister planned to promote the much-anticipated reunion himself.

He kept monitoring all the land with mini cameras that were hardly visible to the naked eye. Also, he counted with the help of two members of the Nasty Boys, Slab, and Ruckus, in this wicked venture.

Ruckus is a mutant whose power is to absorb ambient sounds, amplify them in his body, and scream them back with great force. He had been Sinister's lapdog for quite a long time. As for Slab, his ability is to augment his size and mass to increase in strength and resistance to physical injury.

It was unclear what benefits the two of them would get if any, should Mr. Sinister's plan be successful. Maybe they were helping Sinister just out of nothing better to do or just for the fun of inflicting pain on the X-men.

"So, Chief, when will the fun begin? When can we approach the X-Men and bring them down?"

"Slab, that's not for you to decide. Let's watch them for a while. They have just arrived in the jungle, they might as well taste a little bit more of our hospitality." Mr. Sinister said with a broad evil smile stamped across his face.

"Sinister, your plan is never going to work out the way you think. I trust my X-men. They won't go down without a fight."

"I'm counting on that, Charles. Sadly for you, without their powers, the powers you helped them develop to the most, they will be easy prey."

"Don't be foolish, Charles. You're wasting your time talking to this mad man. Do you think he cares the slightest bit for any of us or them? He wants to increase his own powers at any cost. I don't know how he manages to recruit mutants silly enough to be his allies. You fools, don't you know that… argh!"

Mr. Sinister tortured Magneto with the mere push of a button. Although he tried to resist the attack, the strong wave of a laser beam aimed at the master of magnetism knocked him unconscious. Xavier watched in horror. He could not believe his eyes. He never thought his long time friend slash enemy, one of the most powerful mutants known to exist, would succumb so easily to a cowardly attack. If he had his powers, he would most certainly not be held a prisoner that easily. In fact, none of them would be there, if they were at least been given the possibility of fighting fairly.

'If only I could have contacted my X-Men. If only they could have been warned against coming here.' Xavier thought. 'If they are also rendered powerless now, I do not believe they will have the means to rescue us.'

"Why so silent, Xavier? Trying to contact your pupils? Oh, I forgot! You can't do that, can you now?" He asked sarcastically and let out an evil laugh.

"Spare me of your sarcasm, Sinister. I am your prisoner, I cannot do anything about it now. But I don't need to endure your monologues…"

"I'm sorry I am disturbing you, Charles. I only thought you would be glad to know that you've trained your X-Men very well. They seem to be doing just fine on their first two days in the jungle. I was informed that none of our, shall we say, native creatures caused them any harm. They seem to be holding it together pretty well without their powers. Let's see how much more they can take life in the wild." His sinister laugh rang across the room again. He felt victory so near. Nothing could go wrong now. No one would stop him. He would be the one who decimated the X-Men and their mentor. He smiled wickedly at the thought. No one would ever be a threat to him and his plans again.

X

"Jubilee, my dear child. Are you there?"

After a few seconds there came the reply. The girl's voice was a little too high pitched. She'd been probably caught by surprise.

"Storm. I'm listening. Do you guys need my help?"

"No, kid. Not now." A heavy sigh could be heard from the other end. "We're just checking on you. Is everything alright with you there?"

"Well, yes, the mansion is empty and pretty boring, to be honest with you. I keep looking at security cameras every once in a while as Cyclops recommended. But nothing's changed. Is everyone O.K.? Have you found the Professor?"

"Not yet. And we are all powerless. That's why you could never help us. If you were here with us, you would have lost your powers too. There's something going on, we don't know what yet. We might be here a little longer than expected and that's why I'm contacting you. Keep alert there and don't try anything funny, right?"

"All right then. I really wish there was some way I could help…" She trailed off. She didn't even try to disguise the deception she was feeling. She wanted to join the others and fight. But really, there was no fight to be fought. Not yet.

X X

"Cyclops, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Storm. Have you contacted Jubilee?"

"Yes, Scott. Everything is okay back home. How are you and your team doing so far?"

"Hours of Wolverine's grumpiness isn't exactly making my day… We've been walking for quite a while now and so far, nothing found. What we did find was a dinosaur. Can you believe it? We took it down. It was it or us. We chose us."

"That's so odd! What has Xavier got us into this time? Actually, what has he got himself into?"

"Have you contacted the other team yet?"

"Not really. I was afraid I might catch them at an impropriate time."

"Don't be silly. I know they have a strong sense of responsibility."

Storm could hardly suppress a chuckle. She knew pretty well that one of them didn't.

X X

"Gambit! Do you hear me?"

"Sure do, four eyes. What do you want?"

"Is this how you greet the leader of this mission? Anyway, just checking on you guys. Any sign of the professor?"

"Nope. But I did see your family around. Some weird big-eyed dinosaurs. Do you want me to send them any message?"

"Fuck you, Gambit."

"No, thanks. I'm a straight guy."

"Whatever. If any of my family members bite your head off, tell them I said 'hi'."

"Sure, we'll do. By the way, are you keeping an eye on your woman? Beware, Wolvie is around, you know how he feels about her. No one wants our favorite four-eyed friend to be broken-hearted."

"Oh yeah, before I forget, fuck you again."

'That is a great guy.' Both of them thought after they ended their communication. Oh, the difference between friendship among men and women… While women stab each other's back, men just give each other a hard time all the time. Nevertheless, they are the ones who can share the sincerest feelings of friendship at times…

It had been good three hours after they were walking in the jungle. Throughout the afternoon, all the teams kept communicating with each other. Having considered Beast's advice, Scott instructed everyone to locate a safe place to spend the night. When darkness fell, they should rest. A good night's sleep was mandatory if they wanted to be well enough to carry on their search. The X-Men had to keep in mind that without their powers, they were as good as any human. They should try to feed appropriately and sleep well to maintain their physical strength and alertness.

X

'At least one of us will be having fun tonight', he thought. 'I suppose the bad boys deserve a break once in a while.' Though he was never happy about anything really, one could say that he was less unhappy at that thought. He had to keep his mind busy. He simply had to. If anyone told him he would have to willingly spend that much time with Jean and Scott, the three of them only, he wouldn't have believed it. Yes, willingly! After all, no one forced him into joining that particular team. As if anyone could force him to do anything at all… 'Well,' he thought, 'better to spend some time with Jean than not to see her at all.' Besides, he'd rather make sure she was being kept safe himself.

It was night already. The sky was as dark as it could possibly get. The star-studded night was occasionally filled with strange animal noises coming far from the deepest of the jungle. Jean and Scott were laying next to each other. His arms were around her shoulders. She laid her head on her lover's chest. Logan wanted to be in his place so badly. He had to entertain his mind with something else, or he would stand up and rip him apart. Then he remembered the last night in a long time that he had some… strange as it might seem coming from him… some… fun!

Three weeks earlier, after Gambit insisted a lot, he'd agreed to join him for some poker and snooker playing. Provided an insanely large amount of beer was also in the plans, it wouldn't hurt him some time away from the perfect couple.

They headed to a mutant-friendly bar about 20 minutes from the mansion. He beat Gambit at the snooker table. He'd already had three pints of beer. So far, so good. He'd only thought of Jean three times. Four more pints later, Gambit and he were the best of friends. As the level of alcohol in their blood went sky high, they started talking about love and girls. Very atypical.

"So, mon ami, what the fuck are we supposed to do? Je ne sais pas! J'aime the girl that can be touched and you, you love the girl who claims to have met the love of her life already. What the fuck are we to do?"

"At least yours is not saying 'I love you' to another guy all the time."

"I don't know about you, but as for me, this whole love thing hadn't happened before. Not like that, this time it is for real. This is my first true love"

"I can't say that, I guess I've fallen a few times… I'm a bit thick in the head, never learn… I fall and I ain't never lucky! Even when I think it will be ok at first, always have my ass kicked in the end."

"This amour thing is fucked up, Logan, that's what I say. Love hurts, man. I can feel it when she's near me, it fucking hurts, my chest hurts. Hell on Earth, that's what it is! I get zero gratification for that, it's just me giving and getting nothing at all back. I wasn't used to that. And still, she's the reason for reason. The cherry on the top of the cake." He sighed in sadness.

"Cajun, I've lived much more than you did, boy… I know how it feels and it ain't good. Fuck the cherry, I say we have another beer."

"Whatever you say, Logan. We gotta get hammered, man. That's the relief. Either that or other women. We take care of the first option now and I'll get myself the second later."

Two other pints later, Storm, Beast, and Rogue arrive at the bar. The girls were looking as cool and sexy as ever. They made all heads turn around as they walked in. Beast, well, Beast the same 355 pounds of blue fur…

"Fuck! Just my luck! Look who's here! There goes my hope of trying to forget her with the first bimbo I see in a mile radius. I don't think I'll be able to act cool. Too high for that… Just wait and see, I'll be making a fucking fool of myself, saying ridiculous stuff just so I can see her smile… it's such a shame, she looks so hot…"

"You two, you guys smell like my grandfather!", Rogue said half-jokingly.

"Is your grandfather dead, Rogue?" Storm asked while pinching her nose. The two women laugh.

"I see my friends haven't waited for me to get to work… how many beers should I get to catch up with you guys?"

"Chére, you look so pretty tonight. Like, really, really hot." Gambit told Rogue in all his drunken honesty.

"Why, thank you, Remy. Shame I can't say the same about you, sugar. Well, at least your eyes are already red. It minimizes the effect of the alcohol a bit."

"Humm Rogue! You shouldn't have said that. You must have hurt poor cajun's heart." Gambit immediately hit Wolverine in the ribs with his elbow for having said that. Not bad! Good reflexes for a wasted guy.

"Ororo, come on, let's dance. That's what I came here for. Sorry about that guys. I won't be joining you guys on your who's-getting-more-plastered-tonight contest. "

Wolverine smiled, threw up a dismissive hand. "You go, girls."

As soon as they hit the small dance floor, Poker Face started blasting through the speakers.

"Ha! Now that's a coincidence…" Storm remarked.

"Exactly! We were just talking about it… how he can't read my poker face!" She laughed while her eyes furtively glanced his way again.

In a second he was there, the next one he was gone. The two mutant women were both startled when Gambit showed up right next to them.

I'll get him hot. / Show him what I've got.

Gambit was intensely staring at Rogue with the sexiest look he could manage. He gave her butterflies in her stomach. She hoped hard that he wouldn't notice. He was a pro, of course, he did notice.

'Scored again! Not bad for a drunk man.' He thought. He knew just how to get under her skin and he loved the thrill of it.

She was not up for their love game tonight, though. This time she would give in a bit. She let him get near her, despite the booze smell. In fact, she even thought the smell was a bit sexy. He was cautious not to seem too eager. He didn't want to scare her into rejecting him again.

She's got to love nobody.

They moved like they were connected by some magnet. Their bodies so close, at the exact same pace and rhythm. Rogue was smiling.

'So she was having fun. Good!' Remy thought, his lips stretched into a wide smile.

They made such a gorgeous couple, it turned people on just watching those two go on the dance floor. Their sexiness came from within. Through their skin pores. It was overwhelming. Intoxicating even. At some point, she turned his back to him and went up and down the floor. Dancing provocatively he was driving all the guys mad. Her smile was malicious, sexy. The pretty virgin who loved teasing. Those full lips of hers were sent from the devil himself, Remy thought. They'd be the death of him, looking at them, not being able to brush his own lips against hers.

And baby, when it's love /If it's not rough, it isn't fun

It was getting really hard for him to keep his hands off her. The alcohol pudding he had for a brain didn't help him much and so, as horny as he was getting, he did it! He held her hips, a hand at each side. He caressed her a bit as part of their routine. Taking advantage of being that close to her, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in her smell. He closed his eyes to savor the closeness.

'Mon Dieu, she smells so good…'

A little gambling is fun when you are with me.

"Gambit!"

"Would you get a room, you two? You are embarrassing me!" Storm protested.

"Guess my luck's just run out, hasn't it, chére?"

"It sure did! Piss off, swamp rat!" She scolded him when all she wanted was to be in his arms.

Can't read my / Can't read my, no, he can't read my poker face.

Wolverine chuckled at the memory. Gambit's little dance routine led him to much more beer and some tequila shots. That night Beast and he laughed really hard at all the shit their thief of a friend told them about his own love misery.

'I hope the Cajun is making the most of the chance he's got tonight', Wolverine thought. 'Bad boys never get the chance…'

The cheerful memories finally made him drift into sleep. Not for long, though.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Love Sex Magic

Rogue and Gambit had zoomed the jungle for the best part of the day. They were feeling tired and hungry. When the sun was about to set, they finally found a place where they could safely spend the night. Something they had set to do an hour earlier.

It was only when the shadows had lengthened as much as they could and the sun had set the sky ablaze with a combination of fiery red and flaming orange that they miraculously spotted the perfect place to stay. It was a small cave. Gambit came in first and checked there were no other inhabitants occupying the cave before them. 'Those dinos wouldn't be happy to have their home stolen', he imagined. Besides, they were fed up with the dinos for today. They were attacked by three of them earlier but managed to get rid of them. It must be said, they didn't bother to do it in a very ecological way. Dino meatballs were definitely going to be on the menu tonight.

While Gambit prepared the, lacking a better word, food, Rogue dig a hole, stacked some wood she had collected nearby in a log cabin fashion inside of the pit. She spent quite a while to actually light up the fire as matches were technology not available to them. About an hour and a half later, they were finally having dinner.

"Gambit has cooked you dinner two nights in a row, chére. Had you thought about that?"

"If I had any idea I would be eating dinosaur meat tonight and God knows for how long, I would have packed some of yesterday's leftovers. That meal was actually good. I can't say much about this one. Sorry!" She said smiling apologetically.

Gambit couldn't help but smile back. He watched her with amusement. So much affection he felt for her, sometimes he got the feeling that his heart might explode. The devilish handsome man could actually feel the love emanating from him.

'Just like kinetic energy', he reckoned. Even the disgusted face she made from time to time while eating didn't stop him from admiring her. At times, he felt his lungs filling up with air slowly only to release it even slower seconds later. He felt his heart beat faster. Feeling a hundred butterflies in his stomach, he wondered when was the last time he got nervous near a woman? He couldn't remember ever feeling that way around anyone else and he wondered if it showed. Apparently not, because Rogue wasn't done complaining about the food yet, she continued rambling on.

"When we are back to the real world, I will consider becoming a vegetarian. This is really disgusting. One moment you see your food alive, not that ours was very friendly to us, but anyway, it was alive! And then, moments later, it's on your plate. In our case, not an actual plate, but, even so, you get the idea. When you buy chicken at the supermarket, the package, it makes you forget that the thing inside it was actually alive. Chicken are beings! We keep eating animals and they eat, walk, probably feel and love too…just like us…" My God, the woman was on fire and wouldn't let him get a word in edgeways. She talked incessantly. Hardly did he know that she did so because she was extremely nervous. She was finally alone with Gambit, just the two of them and no powers.

"Désolé, ma belle. Gambit wishes he could have cooked you something more to your taste." He smiled gently. Oh, how on Earth could he be so charming? His smile was so inviting.

If she was afraid of one thing in the whole world, staring into his eyes would be it. And that was simply because she was afraid, completely terrified of falling for him. That boy could never belong to anyone. Men like him were meant to be shared. It would be extremely selfish of anyone to think that they could have that sexy a guy for themselves only. She didn't want to be selfish, or stupid.

"No, sugar. I'm not complaining about your cooking skills. You did pretty well, considered you had no tools or resources. We have probably done much better than the others. And we are consuming lots of protein, as Hank said we should. He said it is essential that we consume protein otherwise we may suffer poorer performance than expected. Gotta keep our muscles growing and strong… " Not that you seem to have any problem with your muscles anyway, she thought. He had stripped his coat and his uniform was pulled down to his waist. She could see he had his six-pack perfectly defined…

They spent some time talking about strategies and wondering about Charles's whereabouts. Was Magneto to blame? Was it all a trap? Why hadn't the professor contacted them before then? Why the hell did it take so long? He'd been away for quite a while before they got a message from his plane. That was very strange. Even for X-Men standards! If there was a problem since his arrival, they would have been contacted long ago. The professor's plane didn't look as if it had just landed, more like something made it fall. Was there any hope of finding him yet?

"What?" She asked him. She smiled, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what, chére?"

"I don't know… Like you are some fool in love or something…"

"Because that's what I am, chére. Gambit, Prince of the thieves' guild, is here standing like a fool, pain in my chest cause you stole my heart...gasping for air...because you take my breath away."

She took those words of his in for a moment. Their eyes were locked into one another. She couldn't stand for too long, she had to glance away. She had to get away from him, in fact. Against her will, her breathing got faster and deeper. He was a pro, he'd pick up on her reactions, she knew it. Admit defeat or keep trying to pretend what he'd just said had not affected her? It was so obvious. How could she?

Either way, he was determined to have her in his arms tonight. He wouldn't give her the chance to consider her possibilities any longer. He kneeled in front of her, held her face gently with both hands, and brushed her lips with his. As she didn't protest, - on the contrary, she seemed to welcome his token of affection - he kissed her. That made her jump a little. Her body was suddenly tensed. He understood she wasn't used to getting physical with anyone and realized it must be awkward for her. She lowered her gaze. Locks of white hair covered her face. He decided that it was sensual and made her even more appealing to him.

"Don't be scared, pretty. I just want to love you. You need loving too, everyone does. How you managed to survive all this time without touch is beyond me. Let's not waste this chance. What do you say?"

"But… my powers… once this is…"

"Shhh… let me just tell you how much I love you. I know you don't believe me when I say those words, but it is what it is. One can't command what the heart wants. Let me enjoy being here with you now. You have no idea what you mean to me. You make me calm. When I look into your eyes, I can see my soul, that I still have one. Without realizing, you help me to get through each and every day. You bring me life, Rogue."

"I…I…I wish I…" words just wouldn't come out…

"Shhhh… You don't have to tell me. I don't wanna know whether you feel the same way or not. I do know that you want this to happen, though. I am an empath, remember? I just wanna be with you and love you, ma belle. That's all. But if you're not sure you want this, I'll understand."

She couldn't elaborate it any further. She was in no condition to protest. His velvet touch on her cheek as he said those words. Words she had been secretly dreaming to hear all along. No, she wouldn't say anything, she wouldn't play hard to get and deny her feelings, her desires.

"Ok, sugar. I do want it. I don't think I've ever wanted anything this bad." She whispered her confession softly.

Every pretense fell away. All of a sudden, it was as if time had stopped for them. He helped her out of her X-Men uniform. Seeing her beautiful body bare, he gasped with excitement. He'd seen that scene in his head so many times. After she got completely naked for him, he did the same for her. Her eyes never leaving his. Before she could do or say anything, his thighs were pressed against hers and she surrendered the body to him completely. When he finally made his way inside her, she let out a loud moan. Not exactly what she had envisioned herself to be doing when she woke up that day.

Foolish of a girl to imagine her first night of sex will be like a fairy tale. First, it's sex. It's hot and steamy. With Remy LeBeau, it was sexy, rough, and fast-paced. And that had nothing to do with pink heart balloons, loving promises, soft caressing, and happy endings. Moreover, Rogue was not that kind of girl. She hadn't dreamt of it, hadn't fantasized how her first time was going to be. She never really expected it would actually happen, so, why would she have bothered?

At the sight of him gloriously naked, she licked her lips, nervous with anticipation. He looked delicious; she couldn't help but smile broadly. She couldn't get enough of him, she wanted more and more of him, if that was even possible. Every breath, every look adding up to the tension. During their lovemaking, he would kiss her neck up and down until he found the spot that made her moan with pleasure. There was electricity between the two of them, their connection, it was tangible. It was a palpable heat that ignited when their two bodies became one.

"Sugar, be gentle. Don't forget… it… mmm… is… my first… time."

"Don't worry, mon amour. It is also my first."

"You dirty liar. Humm… but… mmmm…I'm a big girl… you don't have to do that."

"I love you, chére. It's the first time I do it with real love." He sounded cheesy, but who cares? When you are making love to Le Diable Blanc you didn't. As long as he continued exhaling deeply so she could feel his warm breath deliciously tickle her neck, he had her fully dominated and unguarded.

All the while he kissed her passionately. No one could have prepared her for all that followed. She'd heard everyone talking about it, going on and on about how fantastic sex was supposed to be. Even so, she never imagined it was that good. Of course, truth be said, she had been very lucky, he was surely a very skilled lover. If there was some sort of official certification, he'd have got one with flying colors.

After their desire was quenched, their breathing slowly returned to normal. They remained interlaced. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her heels massaging the small of his back. He stroked the length of her legs with his fingers spread wide. He did so rather absent-mindedly, she felt the tip of each finger, sensitive as she was, and it made her tremble. They stayed that way until they eventually fell asleep. Before Remy closed his eyes and allowed himself to sleep, he gave one last look at her. She seemed to be fast asleep already, so he whispered softly in her ear:

"I would gladly have died for this, chére."

X

One week went by and their routine remained pretty much the same. Walking, looking for any clues that would lead them to Professor Xavier, walking a bit more, finishing off some dinosaurs in the process, eating fruits and nuts during the day, having dino meat or dino eggs at night, and ending the day with some great loving session. Eh… not that bad.

The other teams did about the same minus all that sex. Not that Scott didn't try to emulate Rogue and Gambit's habits, but with Wolverine always around, Jean just wouldn't allow him. She was a telepath for crying out loud. Even if she was stripped off her powers now, she remembered pretty well how Logan felt about her. She was a telepath with a heart... She didn't want to hurt Logan more than she knew she did. Deep inside, deep, deep down inside, he was a good guy. He didn't deserve that.

On the seventh day, Rogue and Gambit had just finished bathing in the river that crossed the exquisite land, when the biggest of the teams showed up. Rogue had already zipped up her uniform, but Gambit was still fighting his up his legs.

"I wish I could say I don't recognize this ass. But I do." Wolverine said. Rogue smiled broadly at seeing her friends again. But she wouldn't let Wolverine's confession go this easily.

"What? Gambit! I didn't know you had also fought the other side of the force…"

"Chére, you didn't let l' homme explain."

"Last time we were coming back from a night out for beers, Gambo had the amazing idea of us getting our butts photographed in one of those photo booths, and then we…"

"You guys put the fucking ugly picture into the mailbox in an envelope and wrote my name on the outside. So that was your doing! I should have known! Those ugly butts… -'I wouldn't agree with that one.' Jean thought to herself while enjoying the view. - So I should be recognizing this butt too! Jean, would you stop staring?"

"Correction, at the time, Logan also thought the idea was fantastique. We laughed so hard we almost peed our pants."

"Almost? Speak for yourself, I did!"

"Too much information, boys!" Rogue said raising her eyebrows and exhaling deeply. "I don't wanna know, don't wanna know! La la la la."

"What I wouldn't give for a cigarette… Hey, Cajun. Do you happen to have any in your pockets?"

"No, man. Maybe we should see this as a chance to quit."

"Easy for you to say. You've got your own favorite drug now. I bet that is helping you out."

"By the way, - Scott interfered – Rogue and Gambit look very happy and healthy, all smiles, even though we are having a miserable time here. I wonder why that would be…"

"Cyke, if that's your way of asking, yes, we have been together." Gambit said looking at Rogue and smiling politely at her. She smiled back. Wolverine spat and then said:

"Twenty bucks, Cyclops. You owe me twenty bucks."

"Fuck! I thought you'd be harder to get, Rogue! But hey, hey, not all is lost, Remy said they were togeeeether, which doesn't necessarily mean they had sex!"

"I'm not the guy to kiss and tell."

"I do not believe you guys could bet on that…" Rogue looked away embarrassed. Gambit took advantage of that, and gave the guys thumbs up showing all his teeth in a huge smile.

"Ha! Twenty bucks."

"Sorry, Rogue. That was not my idea." Mr. Summers, always to good guy, felt he had to apologize.

"The thing is we were running out of things to talk about that would keep us off each other's throat." Wolverine explained.

At that exact same moment, Jean received a buzz that could only have come from the other team. The relaxed atmosphere immediately became dense. With a deep sigh and furrowed brows, she touched the communication device on her uniform and a panicked Storm came through.

"Jean, we were captured. They got us and will come for you. It is Mr. Sinister, he's got…" And the little speaker went mute again.

They all looked at each other. Unsure of what to do, they discussed their next move for a while. Finally, Scott suggested they stayed where they were for now. If whoever it was that got Storm and Beast was coming for them, they had to wait and prepare. It was their only hope to get to the others. At least they wouldn't be caught off guard, thanks to Storm. At what price she got to inform them, they didn't know but we're all thankful for their friend's sacrifice. Hopefully, that little piece of information was going to help them with their mission.

They made a little camp for the night and spent dinner time analyzing possibilities and brainstorming the best way to fight without their powers. It had to be teamwork. The attackers would have to be rendered and they had to make sure they were conscious because they would have to find a way to force Mr. Sinister's allies into taking the five of them to wherever it was that Professor Xavier, Magneto, Beast, and Storm were being kept, prisoners.

Their attackers would probably be members of the Nasty Boys or the Marauders. Gambit had been one of the Marauders before joining the X-Men so that made him the best person to put up a strategy.

The five X-Men sat in a circle and started a meeting. Gambit shared with the rest of the group the Marauder's members' abilities and main fighting characteristics. One could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable with remembering the past he so desperately wanted to forget. After all the good he did fighting with the X-Men, he hoped he'd reached some form of redemption.

At some point in his life, Gambit found he had an uncontrollable amount of energy flowing through him. Having heard stories of Mr. Sinister's experiments and how he modified and cloned mutants, he assumed the evil geneticist could help him with his problem. Mr. Sinister did help him by making him able to control his powers. That's why he never judged Rogue for hoping for a cure. He understood her. But he also knew that price you paid for getting your wishes to come true could be way too high.

After Mr. Sinister treated him, he became considerably less powerful. Still, he was powerful enough to assist Sinister in reaching some of his goals. The favor had to be returned after all. Nothing comes for free, especially from Mr. Sinister. Consequently, Gambit had to carry out various missions. For the last of these operations, Gambit gathered together the group of mercenaries that was later known as the Marauders. Gambit was then ordered to lead the Marauders into the tunnels under New York City. The objective of this mission, he later discovered, was to wipe out the Morlocks. After he found it out, he tried in vain to prevent the Marauders from killing a considerable number of Morlocks. He was only able to save one, a child. He carried the guilt with him ever since.

Now there he was, using the knowledge he wished he didn't have to give his fellows X-Men better chances of winning the eminent combat. After they agreed on details, each of them retired to sleep. Gambit stood up and sat by Rogue. She knew all the remorse her lover had carried inside him all those years was hurting him badly all over again like an open wound. She offered him her gloveless hands and said.

"Come, sugar. Let's take a walk and go somewhere else. I guess you need my loving tonight more than ever."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Bed of Nails

Darkness all around. Absence of weight. She was flying. Either flying, floating, or… swimming? No, definitely flying. Whatever surrounded her was not as dense as water. But not as imperceptible and intangible as air. Air without movement, that is. She was embedded in some elements. One thing was for sure, it was not water. But why was her hair floating about in some sort of fashion as if she were in a swimming pool? The dark was not appealing. Being deprived of the one sense we rely mostly on is not the best of experiences. Some mistake it for fear, but it was only natural that we feel threatened by darkness. All of a sudden, she could hear a very distinct sound. A heartbeat. Loud and strong. THUMP THUMP THUMP… and it was growing faster and faster. She decided that must be the beating of her own heart. An abrupt change in the atmosphere. A dim light could be seen. Another heartbeat. Slower and faint. thump… thump… thump…

"Are you afraid?" A female voice asked her, a blood curling laugh followed the question.

"What? Who? Who's there? Where am I?"

"Don't you remember me? Can't you feel my presence?"

Darkness came back crushing her again. At the surprise of hearing that voice, she started flying around and around, as if trying to find a way out. OUCH! She hit a wall of concrete. Lacking a sense of direction in the immense nothing she was inserted in, she hanged on to the concrete. Like a blind man reading a book in Braille, she touched her way through the wall, which she soon discovered to be in a box. Like a spider, she kept moving through the concrete box until a hand grabbed hers.

"Do you want to join me here, Rogue? Would you like to come into this stupid prison your dear professor Xavier put me in?

"Captain Marvel? I'm sorry! I didn't… know… what I was… I didn't mean to... "

"Oh, you do remember! Are you sorry? How sweet of you! Shame it doesn't take me back to my own body! What if we exchanged places for a while? You stay here and I'll take over this body. I can even take good care of your boyfriend for you…"

"Nooooooooo!"

X X X X

"Petite, qu'est-ce que c'est le problème?" He asked. He held her closer to him, pressing her against his chest.

'Nightmares must be tormenting her', he thought.

Her cry made his blood run cold. The fire in his eyes seemed to turn into flames. The screaming didn't cease, so in an attempt to get her out of the dream that caused her body to stiffen and sweat, he shook her gently.

"What is the problem, Chére?"

She slowly opened her eyes. Her thick eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings until her green emeralds finally popped up into conscience.

"Remy, it is her! I need the professor! We gotta find him!"

"What do you mean? Who is 'her', petite?"

"Ms. Marvel! She is the one… the woman I… I nearly killed. She is in a coma right now, but she lives inside of my head. And I... I… can't… I can't deal... "

"Shhhhh… - he whispered as he rocked her body like she was his little crying baby. "It was just a dream. I'm here with you. Everything's gonna be alright, mon amour. We'll find Xavier, I promise you."

"I'm sorry I woke you up." She said as she started drifting into sleep once again.

"You didn't.", he mumbled softly and kissed her forehead tenderly.

That night there had been no lovemaking. They had sex. He used her and she used him back in return. Both of them could use some comfort in each other's arms.

She was his balsam. She soothed the pain, calmed his mind and soul. He simply had to have her. He had to fuck her senseless. That was how he would forget it all.

She had probably realized it because she'd offered herself to him before he could even think of voicing his needs. Her doing so just made him appreciate her even more. She didn't mind that he was not as sweet as usual. She liked it rough too. It gave her the illusion it was only sex. Hard as it was to ignore her heart about to pump right out of her chest whenever he was close, she tried her best.

'This ain't love. It's just fun!', she repeated like a mantra in her mind. She was not that foolish to have false hopes, she decided.

Despite Rogue's best efforts to relieve his pain, Mr. Le Beau simply couldn't sleep. How could he? He knew what Mr. Sinister was capable of. He couldn't help but think about all that happened when he was working for him. And how all the misfortune he caused others under Sinister's command could be about to come to him and his friends. The X-Men were the closest thing he had to a family in his entire life. As much as he loved his sweet Louisiana, he had not known family love there. The thieves' Guild, that was definitely no one's family. Funny how just when he thought he could be a decent man and redeem himself of all his sins, his past comes back to haunt him. Wasn't that so fucking ironic?

Those thoughts kept whirling around his mind as he sat perfectly still as not to wake her. Contemplating a million possibilities, he watched the beautiful young woman in his arms sleep. Her slender body, her long hair stretched out in waves over his protective arms. He had to tamp down the urge to touch it. She had to sleep. At least one of them was having the chance to drift away into unconsciousness.

The hours passed by. She continued to sleep deeply, a sight he had dreamt of witnessing for so long. Though he could feel his eyes were heavy, he just couldn't sleep. The morning was coming soon. He kept watching her intently, trying to memorize that scene. He was trying to make a mental picture of her that way. Seeing her at peace now gave him some comfort. However, something told him that wouldn't last long. That might would be their last one together.

X X X X

The sun rose and they were nowhere to be seen. 'Did he betray us?' The thought crossed his mind. But as quickly as it came, it went. He pushed it away. No, he wouldn't do that. 'He earned our trust. I am sorry to even think about it'. He lightly shook his head. Only to realize Jean had awoken and was staring up at him.

"You think he betrayed us, don't you? I'm sure they must be around. I am sure they must have gone away looking for some privacy."

"How did you do that? You don't have your powers like the rest of us, now do you?"

"I know you, Scott. I don't need my powers to know what troubles you."

"The thought did pop up into my mind, but… I trust him. I know he's on our side for good."

"Morning, Logan. I see our little chat woke you up."

"Good morning, Jean. Well… the sun… the brightness… that's what woke me up. Where's the Cajun?"

"Je suis ici, mon ami." Rogue and Gambit could now be seen in the distance, approaching the others.

"Should've known that bad smell the wind was blowing my way could only be you."

"You don't look like you had a good night's sleep, Remy." Jean said. She looked concerned.

"I didn't, telepath. But I don't wanna talk about it if that's alright."

"That's okay. What's up with Rogue? She looks like her body's here but there's no one home."

Five seconds of silence. Everyone turned their attention to Rogue. She finally snapped.

"Huh? Sorry, I'm just… just thinking about something else. Morning, y'all."

"So what do we do now? Sit here and wait?"

"Do you have any better suggestions, Logan?'

They didn't have to wait long though. Ruckus and Slab showed up in no time. They didn't bother to make a quiet entrance, giving the X-Men some time to position themselves for the forthcoming fight. Wolverine's claws emerged. As suggested by Gambit the night before, Wolverine was supposed to take Ruckus down. Logan's adamantium bones were not affected in any way by their temporary loss of mutant powers, making him the strongest of them all. Therefore, Wolverine was Gambit's chosen candidate to keep their worst threat at bay.

Ruckus could easily take all of them down at once if he were to let out of one of his paralyzing screams. Wolverine had to make sure the loud mutant did not have the time to execute the task.

Wolverine lunged at him, his claws aimed at the newcomer's chest. Ruckus side-stepped and flung him to the ground. The shorter man struggled until he managed to break free of the tall one's hold. He got to his feet. Staring at the tall man with fury in his eyes, he jumped forward in a new attack. Veins in his forehead distended. Ruckus swung down. Wolverine flew over his enemy, rapidly took advantage of his position, he bounced back and jumped again towards the other man's back. He managed to slash Ruckus' left arm.

Meanwhile, the other four X-Men circled around Slab. He had stretched himself into a bigger shape. Threatening. Overwhelming the four seemingly little creatures in comparison to him. Gambit was possibly the most skilled of the four of them in hand-in-hand combat. He was used to fighting from an early age without relying solely on his mutant abilities. Because of that, he was the first to take a plunge, hitting the enemy straight on his stomach. It caused the man to contort a little. The big guy sneered and said:

"Hey Gambit, I heard you and I have worked for the same man. Perhaps you'll join the company again."

"Not if I can help it." Rogue said before she came running into him and began hammering him with all her might. She was not nearly as strong as she was with her powers. Slab gave her one single punch that knocked her out.

Jean and Cyclops rushed up to her aid. It was so frustrating not to be able to fight with their powers. Both of them tried to immobilize Slab by pushing him forward, trying to throw him off balance. To no avail. Gambit used his Bo staff to strike his opponent at the same time. After Gambit gave a signal with a whistle, the three of them regrouped and executed a serious of attacks. They moved about synchronized as if they were dancing ballet. Rogue regained consciousness. As she was getting up, Slab grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to the ground. Gambit stroke Slab once again, reinvigorated by his fury. How dare the man do that to the one he loved?

"Don't you touch her again! Ever!"

He threw himself at their opponent knocking him to the ground. This time he was successful, Slab fell. Gambit held the man's feet together, making sure he wouldn't stand up again. Jean and Cyclops helped Gambit to immobilize Slab. Jean held his left arm with both arms and Cyclops did the same opposite her. Rogue stood up and shook her head. Seeing the scene, she ran and stamped her foot in the man's forehead. She kicked his head repeatedly.

"Did I ever mention there's something about a super-strong babe that jus' gets this ol' cajun boy all hot and spicy?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are we back to our old stomping grounds already?"

"Where's Wolverine and Ruckus?"

Cyclops' question was answered in a second as Wolverine's small frame flew past them and fell heavily onto the ground, meters away from their fighting scene. With the impact of his fall, his body kept rolling.

He finally stopped near the river. Feeling a sharp twitch of pain, he groaned. He had to help out his fellow X-Men. Oh, how he missed his healing gift right now. His wounds just wouldn't let him stand up and go back to the fight. He tried hard but couldn't raise his body. The pain was very severe. Even though he'd attacked the guy and left him with cuts and scratches all over his arms, his aggressor somehow managed to hit him badly several times.

"Enough! Slab, I can see you've had enough of playing around too."

He let out his powerful scream, striking them with great force. Since he could see they were still not completely blacked out, he repeated his sonic attack until the X-Men passed out. All but one, Wolverine was still hanging tough in the margins of the river.

Ruckus and Slab each grabbed two of the fallen bodies. Before they started heading up towards the secret chamber where Mr. Sinister kept his lab and the other prisoners, Slab asked his partner.

"What about that little man? Don't you think we should look for him and bring him too?"

Ruckus in his arrogance replied. "I've beaten the crap out of him. I'm sure he'll be incapacitated for a while. Let him get killed by the dinosaurs. We haven't fed them properly these days. They will appreciate meat for a change."

X X X X

In another part of the jungle, Mr. Sinister told his prisoners proudly:

"I'm glad to announce that the rest of your friends will shortly be with us. We can finally begin our experiments. Now I am sure that I won't be interrupted during the highly demanding procedures. We shall begin. Magneto, I'll give you the honor to be the first one to serve my purposes."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Devil's Advocate

"OUCH! That must have hurt! The four of X-Men were thrown into a cage as if they were animals. In the same cage were Professor Xavier, Storm, and Beast.

The place was like something out of a sci-fi movie. When I say sci-fi, I don't mean one of the good ones, state-of-the-art special effects and all. I mean those weird trashy ones.

"Outside, it looked like just any other part of the jungle. Apparently, the hatch that led to the underground facility was hidden under a rock. How cliché was that? At the push of a small button in his remote control, the rock rolled backward and the vegetation slid to the side as if magically. Harry Potter couldn't possibly have done it with more style.

"As they were being carried on Ruckus and Slab's shoulder, they could only see the ground. So they couldn't really take in the surroundings. Their captors went down two flights of stairs and that was it. There they were.

"The contrast of gloominess and cutting-edge technology was striking. It was gloomy because the place was dark and damp. It smelled musty. There were no windows. The few fluorescent light bulbs in the room weren't enough. One of them was not working properly and wouldn't stop flickering. The walls, well, there were not really walls but soil that had been dug. What had not been invested in the structure of the place had probably been put into the equipment. There was a large control panel that formed a semi-circle around the room. In the middle, there were three operation tables. Magneto was strapped to one of these tables. He was asleep or in an induced coma. They couldn't tell which. He had vital signs monitoring equipment attached to his heart and brain. Pointed at each of the tables there was some sort of ray emitting device.

To the left side, there was a laboratory freezer and a large metal table. On the nearest table, two huge microscopes could be seen and also tweezers, a scalpel among other surgical instruments. To the right, there were three human-size glass containers filled with what appeared to be water., only it was thicker than water but still transparent On the top of each container laid many wires.

"The newcomers examined the room with interest. Where were they? What were this Mr. Sinister guy's plans? It didn't look good. How on earth could they get out of this one?

"Rogue's eyes were filled with tears when she saw Professor X. Jean and Cyclops were visibly distressed when they saw the professor too. Gambit moved towards him and patted him in the back lightly. He gave the old man a sad smile. His way of saying 'I missed you and I care.'

Charles Xavier was not the same man they bid farewell to two weeks before. He was looking deplorable. He had puffy eyes surrounded by dark circles that denounced his lack of sleep and peace of mind. He looked thinner too. It seemed his age had finally caught up with him.

"But they just couldn't show him how they felt about the situation. It would only make the man feel worse about all this. There had to be hope. They had to think a way of it. And besides, they were finally reunited. There had been times when they feared for each other's lives and yet, here they were. Alive. For now. So, even though everything was probably lost, the resolution of their problems was not even close, the gloomy atmosphere changed into the arrival area at the airport near Christmas. They were all hugs, handshakes, kisses, and supportive words.

"We missed you guys. We couldn't tell you were alive. I'm so glad to see you are as well as the situation allows you." Cyclops told Charles.

"I was so concerned about you, my X-Men. I wish I hadn't led you to this trap. I am so sorry. It was never my intention, I…"

"You don't need to apologize, prof. You know we'd do everything again for you. You've done so much for us, it is our duty to repay you whenever we have the chance." Rogue said. She stretched both her hands, reached his, and shook them. Her hands hold his firmly as to show the sincerity in her words. It was the first time she touched him. He noticed her gloveless hands and understood her gesture.

Storm was quiet. Beast held her close to him and patted her back from time to time. She buried her face on the blue man's chest. She was probably feeling claustrophobic. Looking at that scene, Jean opened her mouth as to say something but decided against it. They would just have let Storm be. Nothing they could do or say would attenuate the irrational fear their friend felt. They were in a place without windows and inside a cage. What could be more restraining than that? Poor Storm was immersed in agonizing despair.

Gambit was quiet too. He felt responsible for their imprisonment. If only they had a better plan. If only he went for Ruckus himself. Maybe he could have stopped him.

'God knows how Wolverine is right now.' He thought.

"I'm sorry, professor. I was the one who planned how we should attack Ruckus and Slab. Apparently, I haven't done a good job…"

"Gambit, please, don't blame yourself. Without our powers, this was hardly going to be an easy task to carry out. Where's Wolverine? Did they not reach him yet?"

But before they could answer, Mr. Sinister came closer to the cage. He looked very pleased with himself and had a wicked smile flashing across his face.

"Sorry, but I'll have to interrupt you. You can save the melodrama for later. I've had enough of it. Blah blah blah! Interesting that you haven't told your dear professor the good news. No one told him about the new couple: Gambit and Rogue."

Charles Xavier didn't look too surprised. He shot a quick glance at the two of them. The two mutants had remained very close to each ever since they were imprisoned. Xavier was no fool, he remembered the way Gambit had been acting when he was around Rogue. But why was that of any relevance to Sinister? Why would he want to mention it? He continued listening to the mad scientist.

"Well, well, well, Xavier! Do you own an Institute for gifted youngsters, as you prefer to call us mutants, or a matchmaking agency? Maybe I should join you and found myself a wife!" He said with disdain.

"And you, Gambit! My only collaborator who has deserted me! You were so special! So talented and efficient on all the tasks I had you do for me. Do your friends know of the things you did for me? Do they know why you came to me? If you want, I could tell them. Or would you prefer to get out of this cage right now? All you need to do is say you'll work for me again. You could even benefit from the experiments I'll do today. Would you like some of Magneto's power, perhaps? There's plenty, we could share."

"Work for you again? Jamais!"

"Come on, Mr. Le Beau. Was it that bad for you? I always thought you did appreciate the little favor I've done. Now you can touch anything, anyone, without blowing them up, without transforming them into kinetic energy…"

What were they talking about? Had Sinister modified Gambit's abilities? Was that why he worked for him, then? Xavier knew the answer to all these questions, but the others didn't.

"Shut up, Sinister. Do whatever you please with me, if you have to. But don't hurt my friends! Leave them out of this. You can kill me if you wish to. But be sure of one thing, Gambit's never gonna work for you again!" Gambit barked at the man. He was standing, holding the iron bars, going back and forth as he shouted those words at Sinister.

"What a sight to behold! A filthy thief having such noble attitudes. Eh… now that's something I never thought I'd see in a lifetime. But Mr. LeBeau, I still believe we can do business. All we need is the right amount of persuasion… everyone has a price. You of all present know it very well. Maybe a little too well…"

"Gambit, don't you listen to him. He wants to break you. He'll try to hurt your feelings. Don't pay attention to his babbling! It's all a trick!" Charles Xavier commanded.

Mr. Sinister approached Gambit and laid his white hands on the handsome man's face. Gambit stepped back, freeing himself of Sinister's grasp.

"Gambit, we are old friends. Don't you see it? I want to help you. I could help you and then you helped me. Just like in the old times! What if I could give you the one thing you want most in this world? I could make your lover able to touch you permanently. In fact, I think you have to thank me for your makeshift honeymoon, don't you think? If all of you hadn't lost your powers…" He turned his back to the prisoners for more effect.

And... BOOM! That was it! His secret weapon and he knew it would make quite an impact on the young man's mind.

Gambit lowered his head and slid a hand through his chocolate brown hair. No, he wouldn't even consider that. Would she want him to do it though? He stole a quick glance at Rogue. Her eyes were full of tears about to fall. If she blinked, they would roll all over her pretty face. And that he wouldn't stand. He didn't want her to suffer.

What did those tears mean anyway? No, he couldn't be involved with killing innocents' lives in any way, not ever again. He was better than that. He wouldn't be selfish again. Love was not only about doing anything to be with your beloved one, it was about doing the right thing. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He had to be a good man. He felt he had to be a good man for her.

While he racked his brains searching for the right thing to say, he didn't feel the weight of all the people's stares. When he finally reached a conclusion, he looked around and realized everyone was looking at him. They were trying to read him, to know what he would say next.

The man who unknowingly owned Rogue's heart stretched his arms towards his chére, the beautiful mutant, the one and only source of his affection and pain. She threw herself in his arms, kissed his neck lightly before hiding her face in his chest. She was trembling and crying. He'd never seen her that way. She was his pretty tough girl. Tough girls didn't cry. Maybe they did, they just didn't do it a lot in front of an audience. Well, there's always a first time.

"Babe, I've seen how you still hurt because you worked for his man. I don't know what he made you do, but I know you couldn't possibly go through it all again. Sugar, please, don't even think about it!" She murmured. He touched her chin making her lift her head and look at him. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"I know, ma belle. I've reached a conclusion. And I know you wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

She touched his hair, then brushed his cheeks with the tip of her fingers and then ran them through his lips. He held her close. "Kiss me, Remy." She demanded with pleading eyes.

He kissed her passionately. He felt the taste of her tears. His heart would have stopped had it not been for her words. The words that came in a sweet whisper after the kiss.

"I love you, Gambit."

Rolling his eyes, Mr. Sinister rubbed his temples.

"Oh for fuck's sake, would you stop all that drama? Gambit, you need to decide now. Are you in or are you out?"

"Of course I'm out!"

"Really? Have you thought about it? You could have her for always… possibilities are endless. I could also clone her… Is that your final word?"

"Bien sûr. We don't need your meddling, I know she'll always be mine. We will always have each other's hearts. But, you can't understand that, can you?"

"Well, I thought you were not capable of loving anyone, my dear. Are your ladiesman days over?"

"That's none of your business, you jerk!" Rogue shouted at him.

"Fine, then. As you don't seem to need her that much, she shall serve my purposes just after Magneto. Slab, would you get the lady and strap her to table number 2?"

"NOOOoooooooo!"

Slab opened the door to the cage cautiously. Despite the struggle, no one managed to break free. Gambit held Rogue's hands firmly as Slab grabbed her by the waist with his huge hands and took her away from him.

"Chére, je t'aime." He shouted as her hands slipped away from this grip.

X X X X

"So that's where they are all locked up?" He thought as he watched Slab and Ruckus go down a passageway. "So they have a remote control device to open it. I guess I'll need to get myself one of those or… maybe not…" He'd just had an idea. He pressed the communicator on his uniform.

"Contacting X-Mansion. Do you copy?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The Hustlers

The teenage mutant absolutely hated those quiet days. Time flowed like cement, and she fidgeted with electronic devices all day long while chewing bubblegums. Sitting there with nothing to stare but a wall full of security monitors, she almost fell off the chair when she got buzzed.

"Jubilee, I need to you come to these coordinates you are getting on the screen. As soon as possible."

"Really? Wow, that's awesome. But hey… if you want me there, then you guys must be in real trouble!"

"Actually, we just wanted you to come here and join us for a barbecue."

"Wow! It sounds like fun! So you must really be missing me!"

"NOT!" The old man she grew so fond of replied with a chuckle. "Of course we are in trouble!"

"Wolvie, that was funny like two years ago."

"Hurry, kid. Bring guns and some grenades with you, will you?"

"Okaaaay. Should I even be allowed to be handling this kind of stuff?"

"If I say so, then it's because it's ok."

The girl rushed out of the meeting room with a huge smile spread out across her face thinking 'All those years playing House of the Dead in the arcade will finally pay off!'

X X X X

At that same moment in the Savage Land, Mr. Sinister prepared his tools and subjects to start his experiments. He was confident his experiment was going to be successful, still, he had to focus on all the procedures to ensure the best outcome possible. He put on his surgical gloves. DNA extraction was first in his to-do list. Both Rogue and Magneto were knocked out on tables one and two as they were referred to by Sinister. Ruckus was assisting him with the more mundane tasks.

Meanwhile, Slab had been assigned two different tasks: first, he was to look for Wolverine near their early combat area and after that, he had to watch the remaining prisoners.

'We can never be that arrogant to think that we've got them for good. Those X-Men can always pull something out of the hat and turn the tables around.'

As soon as Slab left the lab slash dungeon, Beast spoke to the others in very quietly, almost whispering. The others listened to him intently but at the same time, they knew they had to try to keep a low profile. They looked at other directions nonchalantly.

"Since Storm and I were brought here, I was wondering by what means our enemies still retained their powers. It seems that there is some kind of electronic magnetic wave that neutralizes all forms of mutant special gifts. Of course, I cannot be sure, for would it have been magnetic, Magneto would have felt it. Anyhow, it wasn't long until I realized that all three of our adversaries are wearing a silver bracelet with an intermittent red light. It reminded me of those power-negating collars that were placed around mutants' necks in Genosha. There, the collars were turned on and off as convenience determined. However, this one they are wearing here seems to have a contrary effect. Keeping their mutant powers intact, this bracelet must protect them from whatever it is that blocked our powers here. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"That is interesting indeed, Hank. If we could get at least one of those bracelets." Xavier said. He glanced around quickly, eyeing briefly all X-Men. Each at a time, as if throwing the challenge to them. His eyes lingered on Gambit a bit longer. The master of thievery noticed it.

"Do you want me to steal one for you, prof?"

"I wouldn't have put it in those words, Gambit, but yes, it would be nice."

"All you had to do was ask." He scanned the room for a few seconds, analyzed the situation, racking his brains for a way of reaching his goal. "Ok, listen out. I've got an idea."

From the far side of the place, Rogue let out a moan. Just what he needed, the man was hurting his love. How the heck was he supposed to keep it cool and concentrate?

"Gambit, go on. He is anesthetizing her. It is just the needles. She never likes them. The woman is strong as a rock, is never afraid of a fight but can't stand needles… She is unconscious now, she's not feeling anything." Hank said. "But time is crucial now. Tell us what your idea is."

Gambit exhaled deeply, ran his fingers through his hair, and lowered his head. He closed his eyes in concentration for a second and then spoke in his usual jokingly manner.

"OK, we are going to scam them. But I'll need your help. Con artists never work alone."

"Just tell us what to do!" Cyclops said with sudden enthusiasm.

"Among other things, Gambit, were you also a con artist?" Jean asked in shock.

"Chére, I only targeted the greedy, morally corrupt, and those who thoroughly deserve it. That's hardly a bad thing, is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Rogue is out. You may save the propaganda for when she's around."

"Ok, so this is going to be teamwork, right? Who's doing what?" Cyclops asked.

"Well, I, I will be the technical and practical brains of the operation. I'll do the initial groundwork for the scam and prepare all props needed for the "big store." By props, I mean the cards in my pocket. I'll do some of my card tricks, then start a game with my associates, you guys, get Slab curious and then hopefully involved in the game, make him believe he could easily beat me in a stupid bet or something, entertain him for a while to get him distracted."

"Oh, fucking great. Is that your brilliant idea? Just when I thought we were onto something here." Cyclops said, maybe a little too loudly. Jean kicked his foot in reprimand. He got the message and whispered this time. "What else then?"

"Jean will be the lure. She is sexy, smart, and glamorous. Perfect for the job. She'll have to use her feminine charms to ensnare unsuspecting marks: playing the 'lure' while another gang member targets the male victim. And that will be Beast, I'll be standing up all the while. When I shift my weight for the second time, it will be your cue, Beast. You'll jump, grab Slab's arms and I will take off the bracelet. Oh, I almost forgot. Cyclops, you'll be the other guy."

"Other guy? What do I do?"

"You pretend to be really interested in the game. You make questions about it and eventually, you'll agree to play against me, the dealer. You can ask genuine questions as you really don't know shit about cards. This will only add up in our favor. You'll seem more authentique."

Unexpectedly, in a quick bold move, Gambit grabbed Jean's uniform zip and unzipped it until her breasts were almost popping out.

"There. Now you can be an even better lure."

"Cajun, you! I'm gonna..." Cyclops narrowed his eyes as he spoke to Gambit.

"I think that could work." Storm said confidently. It was the first time she said anything rational since her imprisonment. "I guess it's as good a plan as it gets."

"Storm, are you all right?" Xavier asked cautiously.

"Not really, my dear Charles. But feeling better, thanks for asking." She pulled her legs to her chest, crossed her arms over her knees, and rested her head on her right shoulder. That was an improvement. Now she wouldn't be able to hide her face on Beast's blue fur anyway. He was about to be one of the hustlers.

They went over the details again when Slab came back from his Wolverine search mission. It seemed he didn't get lucky this time. He got an earful from Mr. Sinister about it and then went to his post as a watchdog. That was the cue they needed to start putting Gambit's plan into action.

"Hey, you've tricked me there. I bet no one can beat you in blackjack."

"Vingt-et-un is one of Gambit's specialties." He sneered.

"Hey, what are you freaks doing there?"

"We are just playing blackjack to pass the time. Gambit here is the dealer." Jean said as she brushed Gambit's neck with the tip of her nails while suggestively looking at Slab. "I bet you can't beat him either."

She stared at Slab for a few seconds, her seductive eyes flashing brightly, thick eyelashes fluttering. When he looked at the red-headed beauty, she looked downward while smiling. Then looking at him again, she sighed and did the innocent boob pressing with the sides of her arms. It never failed.

'Hey, she's playing the character a little too well' Cyclops thought. 'I guess we'll have to have a little talk about this later.'

The object of the blackjack is to get a higher card total than the dealer, that is, Gambit. But the players, Cyclops, Jean, and Slab for that matter, should not go over 21. The spot cards count 2 to 9; the 10, jack, queen, and king count as ten; an ace can be either 1 or 11 at the player's choice. The players go first and play their hands by taking additional cards if they desire. If one goes bust, one loses. Then the dealer plays his hand. If the dealer busts, he loses to all remaining players.

According to the plan, Gambit was going to win Cyclops and Jean deliberately –not that it was a difficult task for him anyway, a piece of cake, really - twice in a row. Then, they'd challenge Slab to get into the game. After that, Gambit would let Slab win once. He'd be thrilled at his first win of course and would agree to keep playing and then when they were playing for a second time, Beast would act.

After the second round, as planned, Slab started playing. Jean came close to him. Gave him the 'I know you want me, you know I want you' look. Cyclops cringed at the sight.

Gambit shifted his weight for the first time.

They were each holding their cards in their hands as they obviously didn't have a proper table for the game. And voilá! Slab wins his first round. Jean enthusiastically celebrates with him, skipping and clapping her hands. Her perfect breasts bounced gracefully. They started the second round. Gambit shifted his weight again.

Then it all happened in the blink of an eye. In perfect synchrony, Beast jumped forward grabbing Slab's arms and pulling them to the inside of the cage. In a swift move, Gambit removed the bracelet from Slab's arm and threw it to Cyclops.

"Time to shine, four-eyes! Blast us out of here!"

Cyclops put on the bracelet and did it as he was told. They were finally out of the cage. Storm opened her eyes and took a deep breath in relief. All of them ran out of the cage. Cyclops targeted Mr. Sinister with his ruby-red beam. The geneticist's body tissue seemed to recover from the attacks. Not fast enough though. Cyclops was so infuriated he just wouldn't stop blasting.

Beast carried professor Xavier in his arms as his wheelchair was nowhere to be seen. Gambit and Storm ran to the operation tables. Storm released Magneto and Gambit ran to Rogue. Both of the mutants still laid unconscious despite the havoc created by the X-Men.

"Chér! Are you alright, mon amour?"

She mumbled something unintelligible. He quickly broke the cuffs that held her to the table. He slid his hands under her back and pulled her body to him. He inhaled slowly and deeply taking in her scent and sighed at the sight of her body so close to him once again. Her face, her hair, her smell, being with that woman was all he lived for.

'How can I love everything about this femme?' he thought. His eyes traced over her jaw, neck, then followed her curves all the way down, looking at her breasts, her nipples.

"Oh fuck! I have to focus on getting us out of here. This is not the time!" He thought as he rushed to the exit joining the rest of the fugitives.

"Cyclops! It's over! Let's go!" Professor Charles commanded. Cyclops was still going on and on with his blasts. He must have missed doing that… or was really mad at Mr. Sinister. Shame that Slab and Ruckus had time enough to escape through a hidden passage before Cyclops had the chance to show his appreciation for them too.

Just when all the others were nearing the corridor that led to the staircase and out of the lab, they heard a major explosion.

"What the heck!?" Jean exclaimed.

"Do you think this is some kind of intruder defensive system Slab or Ruckus have enabled?" Storm asked. "This place will crumble down." She said with a trembling voice. "And we'll be trapped here."

She felt her knees going weak. She couldn't take any steps forward. Completely frozen by fear as she was.

Through the dust Jubilee and Wolverine came into sight, shouting and running. They looked more like G.I. Joes than X-Men. Both of them carried big guns and lots of ammunition hanging over their uniform.

"Gee, I'm in total disbelief. That totally sucks, man. Have we missed the fun? I mean, have I missed the fun… AGAIN?" Jubilee whined.

"So much for thinking I'd save the day," Wolverine grumbled.

"Wolverine, that's great to see you too." Beast said. "Now we should evacuate the area as fast as we possibly can. I believe the impact caused by your explosives has put the structure of this place in extreme danger."

Cyclops ran to join them. He instructed Wolverine to support Storm on her way out while he took Magneto from her arms and headed outside with him.

"Hey, we still don't have our powers! Are we leaving this way?" Wolverine asked.

"Well, my dear friend, I assume that as we fly away from here, they will return. It is this place here that has some way of absorbing our powers. I still haven't discovered what it is. I reckon I'd have to come again for further investigation if we were to find an accurate answer." Hank said.

"Whatever floats your boat, man. But count me out of this one. My back hurts, some healing ability would be more than welcome right now. Not planning on missing it again any time soon."

All of them were anxious to get home. Everyone but him.

"Can you guys ahead on the blackbird? I'll go with Rogue in the jet Jubilee brought. I'll wait till she wakes up, I need to say some things to her before we leave this place forever."

"Of course, Gambit. We understand." Professor Xavier said. All the others exchanged knowing looks but remained silent. They all knew Rogue and Gambit in for a huge heartbreak.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Last Kiss

The jungle seemed to have an intelligence of its own. Its voice was the sudden screech of a bird, the flicker of a monkey swinging through the branches overhead. It knew they were there. The sun was high in the sky, shining in all its glory. He contemplated the surroundings.

Everything was quiet and peaceful. The densely overgrown land, the tropical vegetation was so intriguing yet so beautiful. The air was dense and moist. It was suffocating at times. He held onto the gun he got from Jubilee earlier, it was his responsibility to keep him and his beloved one safe while still in the jungle. No dinosaurs had shown up since he sat under that tree, at least he had that as a good sign.

Half an hour passed him by while his devil-like eyes wandered around the landscape before them for a while. Time seemed to fly in that place. Eventually, the natural splendor proved successful in calming him down a little. It was vital that he managed to control the overflow of emotions that was threatening to wash over him.

Somehow he was supposed to find the inner strength to go through what was about to take place during the next few hours and survive it. There had been so many life-endangering missions easier to accomplish than this particular one, he thought.

Blinking eyes. A little moan. Her green eyes came back to life. Their serene gaze at him had immediate impact on the poor devil's aching heart. It made his pulse quicken and his hands sweat. What is more, that gaze left in his soul the eternal thirst for her love. How he could possibly live on with that constant yearning was beyond him.

"Chére, are you alright?"

"Yes, sugar. What? We're back in the jungle! How come? What happened? Where's everyone else?" She asked him while staring up at his red eyes.

"Long story short, everyone is flying home safe and sound. We are still here but we have a jet to go home too, so…" he trailed off.

Could he do this? Could they kiss their last kiss without shattering his heart into a million pieces? He closed his eyes and sighed. He felt he was about to cry as the anguish started building up in his throat. Hardly could he remember the last time he cried. He looked away from her eyes. Her eyes! Yes, they were the ones inflicting that pain. How could he ever look into those eyes and not remember her first night of love with him.

"Gambit? What's wrong with you, honey? You look upset." She frowned at him.

"Nothing. It's just that..." He took a deep breath. "I… I asked them to go ahead because I, the thing is, I wanted to touch you again. I suppose I could have just boarded that plane as if nothing had happened. But that was not even an option for me. I had to look into your eyes, I had to kiss you one last time and feel you kissing me back. Call me selfish if you wish, I know I've only considered my own needs this time, but I had to do this."

The way she looked at him, he could tell she pitied him. He also knew that she was trying her hardest to be the strong one in that game.

"Oh Remy, this is all so complicated. We should never have got into this. I should have been stronger. Owing to the fact that I am the one who can't touch people, I should've known better than that. I'm… I'm sorry, so sorry, Remy."

He lowered his head. His chocolate brown hair fell all over it, perfectly hiding the tear that rolled down his face, just as he intended it to. As if holding a valuable crystal vase that would break into pieces should she be less than careful, she held his chin and made him look into her eyes again. How cruel of her! If only she knew what her eyes were capable of doing to him…

As she saw tears in his eyes, she gasped. It was that bad! She had to say something. Something that would soothe the pain. Think! Think! Think! But words just wouldn't come out in a coherent flow of sentences.

"Remy, I… I hate myself for doing this to you. This is all so hard for me. This must be why I can't touch people, I don't work that way. I, I guess I wasn't made for this. I don't know how to deal with this relationship thing. Can't you see our lu, our lov... " She stuttered. The L word just wouldn't come out. She sighed.

"What I mean is, our relationship is doomed. How can you have feelings for me? Seriously! You are sooo charming and smart, funny and sexy. I could go on and on. You could have anyone you wanted. Why do you want me? The oddball who can't be touched, for crying out loud!"

"Gambit doesn't want to sound arrogant, but I know that, ma petite. I could probably charm lots of women. But what can I do? They are not you. You, you are the one my heart has chosen. Je t'aime, Chére! With all my heart! And I didn't know I'd still have one after all I've done in this life. But there's something about you. I understand how you feel. I mean not being able to touch people. Remember what Sinister said? I paid a high price for being so selfish, for being able to touch without blowing things up and sending them to hell. But you, you are so much better than I'll ever be. You live with this martyrdom. You just accept it and live with it. I would never be that strong."

"So is that why you think you love me?" She looked to her feet as she spoke those words. Those words had hurt him as much as a dagger straight through his heart would have. He shook his head. How could she not believe him? His feelings? True that his track records didn't help much, but couldn't she feel it in his kisses?

"You hurt me that way, don't you know babe? Gambit has been nothing but truthful to you all this time, Chér. I don't think I love you, I feel it."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. Sorry. It's just that… I know that I'm all wrong and it's just so hard to believe that anyone, specially you, would look at me that way. I'm poisonous, Gambit! My skin is venomous, this nasty lethal thing that is spread all over me. "

"You are parfait, ma belle. You are so much more than your deadly touch. You may not believe my words, but you know, chére, one doesn't pretend with a kiss. I'm a thief, that's what I've been taught to do. As for acting… Well, I'm not that good an actor."

He brushed her luscious lips with both his thumbs, then slowly pulled her face to him. Kissing her was so easy, so right, so meant to be. He brushed his lips softly on hers. It was so sexy it made her tremble. Who was she kidding? She thirsted for him. Before he could go on with his enticing game, she grabbed his cheeks with both her hands and forcefully pushed his mouth into hers. They kissed passionately.

If desire is hunger, then those two were starving. Their delicious dance of love and attraction started evolving to the next level. It took all her self control not to beg him to touch her, to undress her, to love her for the last time but her suffering was short lived. A minute later, she found herself whining and moaning as he kissed up and down her neck. Trembling with anticipation, her whole body throbbed with a pulsating heat. She was helpless and overwhelmed when his hands began to undress her, saying 'no' to him was simply not an option.

Suddenly he stopped all the action. Giving her a sad look, he said:

"Chére, don't ever tell Gambit he doesn't love you. You know very well he does." His forehead touched hers and a teardrop came down his left cheek. That tear was sending a clear message. He seemed, at that moment, to have his heart in pieces all scattered on the ground. She didn't know what to say, or how to behave, but she knew a choice was in the air, and that choice was hers. Pick up the pieces or crash them into dust?

She gave him a little peck and another and another.

"I'm sorry, sugar. So sorry." She said in between kisses. Then she felt their kisses wetter and salty. She realized she was crying too.

Without warning, he held her thighs tightly, lifted her up and landed her amazingly hot body onto his lap, kissing her throat as he did so. He had to have her. Even it was a way of bidding a final farewell to his damned heart. How could he ever recover from that? One thing was loving her, imaging what she would taste like, another was knowing exactly how perfectly their bodies fit together. He didn't care, not now.

"Let me make you all mine this one last time."

"Oh, Remy. This will only make it harder for us."

But her body didn't speak the same language as her brain. They were going to hell for loving each other the way they did anyway, might as well take a quick detour to heaven first.

X X X X

At the mansion the atmosphere was of relief and joy. Hank couldn't go straight to his room as usual. He had to take care of his friends. Minor injuries, he thought to himself. Nothing dressings and some pain killers wouldn't cure.

Magneto and Xavier were the ones that required a bit more attention. They had been malnourished during their stay in the Savage Land. Sinister was definitely not to be regarded as a good host. Apart from that, they were also suffering of dehydration and had a few cuts and bruises.

Magneto had also been attacked repeatedly by the mad scientist. He was still not fully conscious and Beast decided he would need to be closely observed for about a week or so as the consequences of the attacks he suffered couldn't be safely determined.

No one knew for sure what Mr. Sinister's technologies actually involved, so they would have to either have Magneto around or transfer him to a hospital. Since no one needed mutants publicized in the wrong light yet again, it was agreed their rival would stay.

Xavier mentally talked to Beast and asked him if he would mind treating them both in the X-Mansion. The Professor didn't want himself or Magneto to go to any hospital as speculation as to what caused their injuries wouldn't benefit mutants' reputation. Things were looking bad enough the way they were.

No one was to ever take for granted what sensationalist media could do with any piece of information regarding mutants. Attention-grabbing names such as 'Mutants are so evil that they stab each other's backs' and the sort were not exactly what they needed to dissipate the cloud of increasing anti-mutant sentiment.

X X X X

After a shower and some rest, the X-Men present in the house had a meeting to discuss their recent mission. They usually had a meeting for accountability of their last mission. The objective was to improve their performance by learning from their mistakes. The goal was achieved among other things by the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions.

This time mistakes abounded. As the team was not complete, they didn't walk through every single detail but talked about the mission as a whole. They had. been there for over an hour, and there was still more to be discussed.

In those kind of meetings, some patterns were always repeated. Pattern number one would be Cyclops saying he had never done anything wrong. That was Cyclop's leadership problem that Xavier had noticed and had made a mental note of tackling it. He hadn't so far, so the problem lived on.

"I am not the one who divided the teams. I believe a lot went wrong because of that. Jean, you know how much I love you, don't take it personally, but I think we could have better teams if we paired people according to their skills."

"Oh fuck! I'm tired of this, really! Pretty boy, nothing you do is ever wrong! And now you are blaming, Jean? That's fucking stupid, not to say hilarious."

"OK, Logan. We'll take your opinion into consideration. And would you please stop smoking? In case you failed to notice, we are in a closed room."

"Why don't you ask me to fuck off? Always so polite, pretty boy. You are still young, you have a thing or two to learn, you know? Number one, people make mistakes. You do too."

"I am pretty sure not one decision I took this time led us to any trouble."

"That's because we didn't let you take any. Does this piss you off, four-eyes?"

"Scott! Logan! Enough! Now, answering your question, I think my group division was good. I don't see what could have been different had it been another way."

"Firstly, Rogue and Gambit would have focused on the mission, instead of caring solely for their own love life."

"OK, I can accept your argument. Secondly?" Jean asked without any enthusiasm.

"Huh? You accept it? That easy? Well, secondly doesn't exist… I've only thought of this mistake."

"So why did you say 'firstly'?" Storm asked.

"To create more impact, I guess."

"Fair enough. I think I can take that for a good reason." Beast decided.

"Wolverine, would you please stop smoking? Again?"

"Only if you ask me to do so in a very impolite way. Why don't you tell me to get this cigarette and shove it up my ass? You see, your politeness just makes me more pissed off, and then I have to smoke."

"I can only thank heaven that we decided not to have Jubilee join us in this session." Storm said.

"Logan, I think this is highly inappropriate. Stop smoking this fucking cigarette or I'll make you eat it! There, I did it for you, Scott. Now can we move on?" Beast said with a hint of annoyance in his tone of voice.

"What were we even talking about?" Jean asked. She hit the tip of her fingers impatiently onto her laptop keyboard and pouted.

"Rogue and Gambit!" Cyclops answered like a good student that wants to show off in front of his classmates.

"Oh, yeah. I don't wanna take sides, but yeah, I think this will be complicated. The Cajun really likes the girl. There will be heartbreak, that's for sure. I guess I'll have his company for beer more often. But how that's any of our business, Cyke, you have to tell me."

"This will affect their performance and consequently our performance as a team."

"Oh, come on. I think they needed a chance together." Jean finally let out with a sigh. "Hello, they were powerless. When would they ever get another chance?"

"We'll have to support Rogue during this time, girlfriend." Storm said with a sad smile.

"OK. Great! The purpose of this meeting has been forgotten long ago. I have plenty to do, like taking care of my patients. I'm out. See you later at dinner time." After having said that, Beast stood up and left the room.

The others were silent for a few seconds and then went back to discussing pros and cons of Gambit and Rogue's relationship without a care in the world.

X X X X

On their way back home, Gambit flew the jet while Rogue shed silent tears on the co-pilot seat.

Not a word was spoken during the journey, but furtive glances were stolen.

Rogue looked at her hands, examining the gloves that now covered them with unnecessary meticulosity. She knew what had to be done and that's precisely why she couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes.

She had to be the brave one and step away from that relationship before they got even deeper down the rabbit hole.

Watching him so concentrated on the task of flying the both of them home, she analyzed his pretty facial features. What a charming little devil he was! She could barely believe she had lost her virginity to him and lived a fairy tale week by his side.

As if he was able to feel the weight of her stare, his eyes met hers.

'What a handsome man indeed!' She thought. And that was the man whose heart she would have to break for his own good.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – What Else Can I Say?

Getting home after a challenging mission was always a relief. But that time around the perspective had changed dramatically for Rogue. Maybe the word 'home' wouldn't even apply anymore. Home is where you feel safe. It should be a place of refuge. But as this was the place where he lived too, it would always be torture to be there.

They would remain very close, yet so very far. The lovely memories of their intimate loving, the most sublime of her days were to remain like books with chapters, deep, emotional, and horribly addictive. So that's why she would leave them on the shelf to gather dust. She could always pick them up if she needed the comfort of knowing she knew love someday. Other than that, they would be compartmentalized and safely stored away from her reach.

'That's the way it should be', she thought as she lathered her hair.

Water splashed all over her body and it made her feel a bit sad. As if she were in a spiritual ritual, cleansing her body she felt like she was washing him off her. His sweat, his saliva, his smell, his kisses, all gone. Literally speaking, it was all just going down the drain.

She was not crying though. She promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore. Her recent vulnerability had led her to this. Where was the tough unbreakable girl she knew she was? She'd probably taken a vacation from herself during the past nine days. Nine days! Wow! It had been that long, and that short.

She finished her shower. With a towel wrapped around her body, she threw herself onto her bed. All of a sudden she felt extremely exhausted of all the heartache. The emotional rollercoaster had taken the best of her. The thoughts that circulated her mind had drained her energy to do anything other than sleep. She sighed. It wasn't long before she was sleeping soundly, reliving the past few days in the land of dreams.

X X X X

Earlier that afternoon, the gossip went on in the meeting room.

"Well, I guess they could be together. As long as he wished to compromise on a few things." Storm pointed out.

"A few things? You women are crazy. How do you expect the guy to live without it, you know, without touch, I mean, sex? Moreover, that's Gambit you're talking about. Don't forget it!"

"Well, Scott for all I know, you went without it for what? A week? A little more than a week maybe..." Wolverine teased.

"By the way, they should be here already, shouldn't they? This idea of letting him stay to say his goodbyes to Rogue was not a good one. They will see each other every day here. It's not like they are dying… That was irresponsible. For all we know, they could even have been taken by Sinister again! I know my blast is fuckintastic, but the guy recovers. Have you thought about that? Ruckus and Slab fled, but who knows? Of course, those idiots are still in the jungle. They may have hidden and now they see the cute couple alone, they could go and get the two of them. We'd have to go back there for another rescue mission… Oh, shit!"

"Stop being neurotic, Cykes. They are most probably doing just fine. They know how to take care of themselves." Wolverine said. "I'll be more worried about the two of them when they come back. I know how this thing goes. You're in love, you own the world. Then, a second later, you've got nothing but a damned broken heart… and a bottle…or a pack of cigarettes…" he looked at Jean and let out a sigh.

"I only hope that they don't blame me for this situation. The situation I put them in."

"Jean, stop whining about it. What's with you people? You don't have to be right all the time and besides, I know you did it because you have a good heart. I'm quite pleased that they had that time for themselves. God knows Remy has dreamt of that for so very long." Storm told her friend.

"And also, do you think this team thing would have stopped Gambit?" Wolverine also tried to help out.

The door to the room slides.

"Hello, mes amis. I see you've missed me. I just heard my name." The Cajun mutant declared with a smirt stamped across his face.

"Ga…Gam…Gambit?" Jean stuttered as the child who was just got caught playing with fire.

"Where's Rogue?" Storm asked.

"She's in her room, probably. She was really tired and wanted to rest. She didn't talk much, or at all, really, on our way back."

"So how did it go? I mean, you guys, coming home, powers restored?"

"You sound like an old lady, Cykes. I guess what you've just asked me is personal stuff."

"We only want to know if you guys are ok, Gambit. That's all. We care about you guys." Cyclops said apologetically.

"Yeah, good try. But non, I'm not telling you guys anything else. Anyways, I just came here because I wanted to say 'hi' and let you know that we arrived back in one piece." He said and immediately thought of how that was a lie. His heart was surely not in one piece. "I've just met Beast on the way in and he said you guys were having the accountability meeting so I thought I'd just pop in. But by the looks on your faces when you saw me coming in, not to mention Jean's stuttering, I guess the mission was not really the focal point of this meeting, huh? "

"You're a smart guy. You guessed it right." Wolverine gave it away. Cyclops looked at him and narrowed his eyes at him in reprimand.

"Wanna go out to smoke, Wolvie?"

"Sure, why not? I've had enough of this girlie talk."

"See you at dinner, mes amis!"

After Wolverine and Gambit left the room, Storm looked at the young couple and said:

"Well, at least he seemed the same old Gambit we know. He didn't look sad or anything. I think we should all rest a bit before dinner." Storm commented lightly.

"Not me. I've checked the calendar in the kitchen and today is my cooking day."

"If you order something, no one will notice, dear. As Wolverine said, you probably need some alone time. Have fun. See you two later." Storm said as she left the room.

X X X X

She woke up alone and it bothered her. Funny how easily we can stick to newly formed habits. She missed him by her side. It was the first time in nine days she'd slept alone. Feeling hungry, she got up and got dressed to go down have dinner.

'Breath slowly and it will be alright', she thought. Although she wanted to pretend to herself it was not a big deal, it was going to be hard to be around him on the first few days, she knew it. What time was it? She had lost the track of time completely. It was like she'd just come back from a parallel reality, an alternative world.

When she walked into the dining room, everyone was already gathered around the table. They were just about to start eating and were talking about Xavier who still couldn't join them for dinner. Gambit waved his hand when he saw her and pointed to the empty seat right next to him.

"Here, chére. I've saved you a seat." Oh, that was not going to be easy. Why wouldn't he just stop being nice to her?

"Thanks, Gambit." She smiled coyly. She couldn't help it. "So what's going on? Have I missed something?"

His eyes studied her for a second before he could utter a word.

"So?" She insisted.

"Well, Beast was just telling us that Xavier will be well till the end of this week, he thinks. And also, we were talking about how much we hate the fact that Magneto is here among us. Even though he can't really do or say anything, the guy has tried to kill us God knows how many times."

"Mmm… OK, thanks for filling me in."

"Ma petite, I could fill you in all night if you wish." He replied with a lopsided smile. At the remark, she looked at him incredulously, narrowed her eyes, and hit the table furiously.

"I cannot believe you, Remy!" She barked at him. When she hit the table in exasperation, however, it came out a little stronger than she'd intended. Nine days without her powers had made her forget just how strong she was.

The violent sound made everyone jump, including herself. Everyone stopped talking and gave them a startled look. As no one said anything, asked or explained anything, they continued eating, but in silence. In order to break the bad atmosphere generated by Rogue's little fit, Beast started telling jokes. Not his brightest idea to date.

"I have just received this e-mail from a friend full of jokes. I thought I could share them with you."

"Hey, that would be totally cool! Some clowning around for a change!" Jubilee said in sudden enthusiasm.

"Ok then, listen out. How many IBM CPU's does it take to execute a program?"

"Huh? I thought these would be no brainers! That's not cool, Hank." Jubilee whined.

But Beast went on and answered his own question anyway. "Ten, nine to hold it down and one to cut off its head… Ok, ok, what about this one? 'Progress does not consist of replacing a theory that is wrong with one that is right. It consists of replacing a theory that is wrong with one that is more subtly wrong.' He laughed out loud at his own joke. "That is so hilarious!"

"Thanks, Beast for trying to shift the bad mood I created. You are so sweet. But I feel I have to apologize…" Rogue said.

"Apologies accepted." Gambit interrupted her.

"You didn't let me finish. I have to apologize after you apologize for saying inappropriate things to me."

"I can apologize to you later." He had his lopsided smirk well in place as he spoke.

"You see! There he goes again." Rogue said looking at the others pointing her gloved index finger at him.

"Oh, that's just great. Would you knock it off, you too?" Wolverine said impatiently.

She defiantly stared at him as if saying 'You see what I can do? Now what?' He smiled his best big smile at her. 'Hey that's not the reception I intended to have!' she pondered.

By the look on her face, he guessed she needed to hear from his lips that he was not the least bit angry at her. Cocky as he'd always been, he slid his hand over her left thigh and whispered, his lips almost touching her ear.

"Seriously though, chére. We'll talk later. I've made you something."

She exhaled slowly and just nodded. What could she do about that? Refusing to talk to him later would be extremely harsh, not to say unfair to him. Maybe she owed him an explanation too.

X X X X

Dinner finished. The girls took care of dishes and cleaning the dining room and kitchen. Those were the rules. If a girl was scheduled to cook, the girls would do the cleanup. If it was a boy day, then boys did the washing up.

Visibly Gambit was not very keen to wait for her to finish as he showed up in the kitchen three times already. He would pop his head in and seeing she was still there, he'd disappear without a word. Every time he showed, she would let things drop on the floor. So far the casualty count was four glasses and a plate.

"You know what, Rogue? Why don't you just go and talk to him? If he keeps coming here and you keep breaking stuff, we will end up having to drink milk from our hands tomorrow morning." Storm suggested.

"Ok, then." She said in a low voice, head hanging low as she left.

"And hey, don't forget tomorrow we have to sit down the four us and you'll have to tell us all about it." Jean said.

"Yay! Am I included?" Jubilee said.

"Why not?" Jean said rolling her eyes. She was almost regretting it.

X X X X

'OK, let's get this over with.' She thought. Where else could she find him if not in their game room? He'd be probably playing snooker.

Bingo! There he was, playing alone. What motivated anyone to play alone would always remain a mystery to her. As he saw the beautiful young woman who owned his heart, he placed the cue on the table and walked in her direction only to stop a few inches from her. She recoiled.

He was too close. Did he forget she couldn't touch him or anyone for that matter? She was so afraid of hurting him, and he was always challenging the invisible boundary.

"Hello again, mon chére." He flashed out his sexy grin. She felt her heart-melting.

"Hey, sugar." She gave a step back.

"So, we have to talk."

"Do we?"

"Yes, you know we do. Everyone's been asking me where we are going from where we were. And I want to know too. "

"Say it again?"

"Rogue, stop playing games. I want to know if we are still an item."

"Gambit, I… what do you mean, really?"

"Damn it, Rogue! Cut to the chase! Just say it straight to my face whatever it is that you're feeling. Since we boarded the jet to come home today, you simply became another person. You hardly speak when I'm around. It seems like we've never been together. What we had was so special to me and now I get this cold treatment, I just don't get it."

"Gambit, I really think that we should forget what happened. It would be less painful if we did."

"Just tell me how! How am I supposed to forget the best time I've ever had with a woman in my whole damned life?"

"I won't be able to forget it either…" She lowered her head. 'No crying, no crying.' She thought. 'You gotta be strong.' She lifted her head, stared into his eyes, with newly gained confidence.

"Gambit, stop being the demanding child here. I can't touch you. How hard can it be for you to get that? Having said that, what are we going to do about it? There's no way out. I won't ask you to stick around and be with me when we can't even kiss. You have needs that I won't be able to fulfill. Ever!"

"We could always find a way. Besides, you said you loved me." He threw the makeshift accusation impulsively.

"That's exactly why I can't do this to you."

"Bullshit!"

"Oh, this is so unfair. I can't believe you are pressuring me into giving a final word about us. I have no choice! And besides, what's the point? In a week or two, you'll be alright and fucking someone else."

"Is that what you think of me? Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

She looked away. Mad as she was, she furrowed her brows and crossed her arms over her chest. He clenched his jaw while he stared at her.

"You know what? Do you know? If we were in that CSI TV show, and you were murdered, I'd be prime suspect because my DNA is still all over you. And still, you are here treating me badly just hours after you treated me so mighty fine."

She exhaled deeply in irritation.

"Oh Gambit, that's so mature of you. So what? I guess you won't be killing me tonight."

"Yeah, guess I won't."

"Oh my God! I do not believe we are having this conversation. Not in this way anyway."

"I'm sorry, chére. It's just that… this is so unfair. Tell me why we can't be together when I can't stand being apart."

"Tell you again? Are you dumb or what? Do you want me to draw it?"

He chuckled.

"Gambit loves it when you are angry at him. You look even more adorable!"

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me! I'm leaving. You just went back to regular Gambit jerk mode."

"Wait, mon bébé. Remember I told you I made you something? Here. Take it and read it and tomorrow we'll talk."

He handed her an envelope which she then kept in the inside pocket of her old jacket. Digging deep in his trench coat pockets, he reached for his pack of cigarettes and left the room without another word.

She stood there a little astounded at his ways. This was so much harder than she could take. She walked slowly to the window, opened it, and flew through it.

She needed some peace and flying usually gave it to her. She flew high. As high as she could fly. Having to gasp for air and feeling the cold breeze burn her throat was liberating.

Being alone so much higher than everyone else, she screamed her pain away.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – The List

Kissing her had never felt so good. It had felt wonderful before indeed, but because he knew they couldn't be doing it in the current situation, it felt so much more special. Kissing with meaning, with love was definitely something, a new sensation at each second. With her, instead of being a random thing you do purely for the sake of pleasure, a kiss expressed the deep affection they had for each other. While he had his hands entangled in her hair, he kissed her luscious lips slowly and tenderly. Goosebumps quickly spread over his body as he felt her lips' plumpness…

"X-Men! Meeting room! It's urgent!"

Scott Summers, the bastard! Waking him up at… what? Six a.m.? It'd better be good. It's crazy how irony goes. When he was having terrible nightmares about the massacre of the Morlocks, and they were quite frequent actually, nobody ever woke him up. Now the one time he gets to have a sweet dream, he got kicked out of bed by Cyclops barks.

He'd slept for only four hours that night. Since images of the past nine days kept floating in his mind, he had trouble sleeping. Before, he would have found relief in a night out, playing cards, drinking, smoking, and finishing the night off in some random woman's bed. But he had to prove her assumptions wrong, prove he could be better than that. How long he would take it, he didn't know. The task at hand wasn't going to be an easy one. Even so, he was determined to push himself to the limit. Their love was worth it.

X X X X

Prior to his arrival, Rogue, Jean, and Wolverine had already taken their seats in the meeting room. Not seeming to care that he was late, he swaggered into the room looking very pleased with himself. Grinning at everyone, he took up an empty seat by Rogue. He found her eyes and reached for her right hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her tell-tale cheeks burned red.

Trying hard to disguise her feelings, she kept looking ahead, watching Cyclops with attention, waiting for his commands.

"Did you like the list?" Leaning sideways and whispered in her ear.

She remained silent but her reaction gave her away. Her body stiffened and her cheeks tingled and glowed with warmth blushing in shades of salmon. She looked at him for a fraction of a second and turned her attention back to Cyclops.

"Always the last one, aren't you Gambit?"

"Piss off, Cyclops."

"Look, we are ready to leave. There is a situation going on downtown. It seems there's a mutant being harassed by a crowd. We are going to help the guy out. No one is to get hurt. Let's try our best to ensure that there are no injuries or casualties."

"And you need all of us for this piece of cake?"

"Yes, because, as I said, I don't want anyone hurt. If I did, I would just go there and blast everyone quiet. We don't need a big display of mutant weirdness. Let's try to calm the crowd down with minimal strain."

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that, Cykes? Giving them hugs, eh?" Wolverine asked impatiently.

"Oh, we are not going through this all over again… Logan, we should immobilize people without hurting them." Jean spoke firmly.

"Why aren't the others coming?" Rogue asked.

"Beast is working on his project and has to be here for his patients Xavier and that fucker of a friend he has, Magneto. I hate him being around… Storm and Jubilee will be flying to Illinois later today on a recruiting mission. There's this girl they'll try to bring to the Institute. This has been scheduled about a month ago. I think we can easily take care of the situation without their help."

"Oh, OK. Then, what are we waiting for, sugar?"

"Just one more thing before we go, this guy is pretty strong. We don't know him, couldn't find anything about him in our archive. So, be careful."

X X X X

The night before, after flying around for about an hour and feeling a bit better, she went to her own room. She cautiously opened her window from the outside and flew in.

The pocket of her jacket seemed heavy even though there was only a feather-light envelope kept in it. Ah, what the heck! If her heart was going to hell for loving that devil anyway, she might as well as read the damn thing.

Feeling a little light-headed, she took a deep breath and opened the envelope with such care as if she were about to dismantle a bomb. A sigh. There. Open.

'Just read it.'

_Ma cher, mon amour, ma Rogue,_

_Today when we arrived, I felt so helpless for not being able to join you in your room. Having to be apart from you all of a sudden has left me off balance._

_I couldn't help but notice that you changed your ways the moment we stepped out of the jet. What's the point of us being apart?_

_Maybe you are treating me differently because you think there's no way we can be together without skin to skin contact. Then I had this amazing idea of making a list of things we can do together as a couple that does not involve you sucking the life outta me. I have to give credits to Storm and Wolverine, they helped me out a bit._

_Ok, here we go. Couple stuff: go to the movies, watch TV, stroll in the park/beach/mall/wherever you wish holding each other's hands (provided you have gloves on them, sorry!), go shopping, have dinners out, swim, go dancing, go the bar, have drinks together, travel to beautiful places, play snooker, cards mmm just thought of strip poker! Good one!_

_We can play basketball, videogames, cook together, read, well, reading could be tricky, I wouldn't be able to sit still while you read, I've seen you at it a couple of times and you look so sexy when you're reading. How could I keep my hands to myself? Well, I don't have an eraser here, just disregard the last one._

_We could spend time kicking ass in the danger room. Also, there are a whole lot of hobbies we could take up together! I think I'd like to learn some new thing, like photography._

_Ok, what else? We can talk loving stuff, I loved it when you said you love me, but you seemed to have only said it because you thought the creepy Doctor would kill you… you could do it again just because you felt like it. We could share secrets, talk about everything and anything that came to our minds. I could be your best friend! You could also fly and take me with you. I guess I would like that._

_You must be wondering about sex stuff. Well, we could shower together, see each other naked as much as we liked, we can hug as long as we are fully clothed. Take naked pictures, make videos. We could sleep together. Just for the benefit of sleeping together, trust me on this one. Just for being there for each other when we woke up or had nightmares. Just being close can be enough. I love to be close to you and smell your scent._

_Also, there's ice! We could sex play with ice! It is amazing, it sends shivers up and down your spine and gets you so turned on that the ice melts as soon as it touches your skin. There's bondage, sodomy... I could teach you some tricks. If we include condoms in our game, possibilities are endless. You could suck my…_

'Oh, he's such a perve.' She thought. 'How could I think this was going to be something worth reading?'

When she read the dirty things he suggested, and oh boy, there were loads and loads of obscene ideas she hadn't even thought possible, she crunched the paper into her hand and threw it in the paper bin basket.

Deep inside though, she knew it was very cute of him to take the time and write her that list.

In the morning, before attending to Cyclops's call, she reached for the creased paper in the bin, carefully smoothed it a bit, folded and kept it under her pillow.

X X X X

It turned out the mutant they were going to help out didn't need much of it really. Apparently, he has the ability to transform his entire body into a form of organic steel making him almost indestructible.

Basically, that meant the crowd could keep on throwing him whatever they pleased at him that they would cause no harm. However, the aggression was confusing the guy. As he ducked and jerked to avoid being hit by various objects, he would inevitably hit walls and cars causing major damage.

Despite of being capable of withstanding great impacts, large-caliber bullets, falling from tremendous heights, he was feeling rather scared at the people's reaction to his armored body.

He couldn't understand the hate and was feeling betrayed and hurt at the deliberate attack. Those people should be applauding him for all he knew. He had just transformed into his steel self to save a child from being hit by a truck.

As soon as they saw the scene, they realized it would take a little longer than expected. There were about sixty people and each one of them would have to be handled with extreme caution. Hard as it was, they would have to keep their heads cool and try to ignore all the abuse shouted at them and they hate those people felt towards mutants.

Each one of them had been there before. Offenses and insults were not a new thing to any of them. All mutants would face it at some point in their lives. More frequently than not, they would be haunted by those kinds of attacks throughout all their lives.

Rogue flew out of the plane carrying Wolverine and Gambit with her. Jean and Cyclops followed them as soon as the latter landed the plane.

Targeting two men that carried pieces of wood, she flew past the crowd, took both men by their arms, and left them on the top of a building nearby. "Well, maybe that's going to give you guys a little more perspective."

Meanwhile, Jean used telepathy to confuse some of the riot participants so that they would just go their own way.

Gambit threw some of his cards in an attempt to dissipate the agglomeration of people. Wolverine tried his best but couldn't help threatening people. Hey, at least, he was not slicing them like bread. He approached three guys who were ready to throw stones.

"You guys want to put up a fight with the big guy who's peaceful. Well, pals, these claws here ain't that diplomatic. Wanna try throwing stones at them?" He scared those three away in a second. So easy, he didn't even get any action. Bummer!

Cyclops ran to the big steel body guy and tried to get some answers from him. The guy's name was Piotr Rasputin.

'Complicated name, guess we could just call him Colossus. The man is huge. He thought the nickname would fit him well.

'Better be cautious to see if the guy will take it easy. It wouldn't be wise to engage in a fight with such a strong guy. Those humans can only be out of their minds.' Cyclops thought. He also came to know that the poor guy was only trying to help out. 'That is exactly the kind of attitude that is expected of a true X-Men. He would make a good addition to the team.' Cyclops decided.

Amidst all the confusion, Jean closed her eyes and concentrated, using her psychic power to make people forget the purpose of the fight. Some of them required more of her skills as they needed to totally forget the whole event. She didn't have time in her hands to make those people better human beings.

Her teammates kept on stopping people from attacking using their bare hands only. In a few minutes, there were only five to eight men still there.

When the riot had all but finished, one of the men Rogue had flown to the building top earlier came from behind her carrying a gun, he shouted:

"You flying freak! I'll teach you never to mess up with humans anymore!"

Just as he finished those words, Gambit swiftly extended his bo staff, and using it he jumped close to the man and punched him in the face. Not just once but several times…

"Gambit! Gambit! Stop that! That's not how we deal with stuff, sugar."

"If he goes on hitting the guy like that, he might as well kill him!" Wolverine said. "I wouldn't say he didn't have it coming though. Fucking narrow-minded jerk!"

As Wolverine didn't seem very keen to do it, Rogue had to stop Gambit herself. She stepped towards him and kicked his knees from behind causing him to fall to the ground. Seconds after she took action, Wolverine held the other guy who had his face covered in blood.

"Guess we'll have to take this loser to the hospital, huh?"

"That fucker! It served him right!" Gambit said as he stood up. Rogue offered him a hand but he refused.

"Easy, sugar. Calm down. I'm sorry for kicking you, but I had to."

"Chére, guess kicking my ass was not on the list, huh? But that's ok. Gambit doesn't get mad at you. I just lost my cool when he called you a freak."

"Mr. No-one-mess-with-my-woman, I guess I'll have to report this incident to Professor Xavier. I told all of you a zillion times not to hurt anyone. What is more, your aggression was deliberate. You could have dealt with it in a softer way."

"Do whatever you please, four eyes. He deserved it. I'd do it all over again."

"Ok, Ok. There's no point in having this conversation here in the street. Wolverine, would you care to take this guy to the hospital? Just wait a moment till I am able to plant a false memory in his head and you can go. Now I guess our mutant hater friend has been hit by a piece of the concrete that came from the structure of this building. How about that?"

"That's great, Jean. That will save our asses. For now." Cyclops said, his gaze was still fixed in Gambit.

During all the while, Piotr Rasputin observed in silence the interaction between the group of mutants that had just helped him.

'What a weird bunch!' he thought.

Even though they seemed to act a little strange, he got curious about learning what the guy with the glasses had said about this School for Gifted Youngsters. It wouldn't hurt him to follow them now and see what it was all about.

Of one thing he was certain, better keep a distance from that guy with black and red eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Imperfect harmony

The team had a very good day, despite Gambit's little lapse from grace. There were definitely more highs than lows on the overall.

Firstly, there had been two great additions to the team: Piotr Rasputin, or Colossus as everyone started calling him, the man who had a body of steel when transformed but the heart of gold, and the girl Katherine Pryde, who preferred being called simply Kitty. Jubilee's new friend possesses an ability that allows her and objects or people with which she is in contact to become intangible.

'Very useful skill in my line of work' Gambit thought when introduced to the little one.

The second reason for the celebration was the recovery of Professor Xavier. Beast had discharged his patient that afternoon. And finally, Magneto had shown significant improvement in his condition. And that meant that they would get rid of their archenemy's presence sooner than previously imagined.

As a result of such good news, it was decided they would go out that night and celebrate. That didn't happen very often, so everyone was rather excited about the outing.

All of them were going but the two girls who wouldn't be allowed in a bar. That had really upset Jubilee but not so much her new friend. The new resident of the X-Mansion was a different kind of teenager. She had genius-level intellect, especially when considered her tender age of fourteen, and took interest in more intellectually challenging activities than her new friend and roommate Jubilee. In spite of that, the two girls seemed to have hit it off.

To everyone's utter amazement, Jubilee was behaving really well and hadn't shown any sign of jealousy at the attention Kitty was getting. On the contrary, she acted as a bridge between the newcomer and the older members of the team.

"Kitty, this is Beast, or, Dr. Henry McCoy, or Hank, as we prefer to call him." Jubilee introduced the girl to her blue-furred scientist friend.

The little girl threw a wide-eyed stare at Beast. That, added to her raised eyebrows and flared nostrils indicated unease.

"Humm… er… nice… to meet you." She slouched behind Jubilee.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Pryde."

"What kinda attitude is that, Kitty? I mean, seriously! Are you afraid of Hank? Is that it? This is totally wack!" Jubilee said rolling her eyes.

"That is fine, Jubilee. Some people are simply not used to mutants whose appearance is not that of a regular human being. As Linda Elberlee once said 'People are pretty much alike. It's only that our differences are more susceptible to definition than our similarities.' "

"I'm sorry, Mr. McCoy. I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that… You see, I'm not used to being around other mutants."

"Oh, Kitty! Come on! Hank is like the sweetest guy ever. He's the best teacher too! "

"Thanks for your compliments, Jubilee. And Miss Pryde, worry not. You are here to learn, we are all here to learn. First lesson: us mutants come in various shapes and colors." He winced at the girl. "Now girls, if you excuse me there are some cookies that Jean prepared on the kitchen table that I have to attend to." And with that, he left.

Most of them were now talking in the living room when Beast left and the other X-Men were then joined by Gambit, Cyclops, and Professor Xavier. The latter had been in the meeting room before discussing Gambit's misconduct. Not only Professor Xavier had been much more complacent towards Gambit than Cyclops but he also gave him some advice on dealing with the feelings he had for Rogue. The older man understood that that was a totally new sensation for that young man.

Moreover, he liked Gambit, very much indeed. He always regarded Gambit as his X-Man that didn't know how much he was really worth. Xavier knew all about that young man's personal demons and knew he constantly sought redemption. But as far as he was concerned, all the good he'd done with the X-Men, Gambit had already annulled the harm he'd once caused others.

As the red-eyed man entered the living room, he instinctively scanned his new surroundings searching for her. And there she was, the sight of her as beautiful and breathtaking as ever, but she was talking to another man. He narrowed his eyes and looked around once more. Seeing Storm, he flashed that quirky little lopsided twist he had to his smile while walking towards her.

"So, Remy, I've heard of your little tantrum today. Naughty, naughty boy." Storm commented sarcastically.

"That was not a tantrum. That guy needed to learn a few things."

"And punching his face repeatedly would do the trick, you imagined?"

"Aw, I don't wanna talk about it, Storm. By the way, has she talked to you girls about me and her and the time we spent together? I think that's something she would be inclined to share. Maybe you have some insightful information to share with your friend Gambit, non?"

"She hasn't, we didn't have the time yet. But even if she did, I wouldn't go around ditching out her secrets, you silly."

"Ok, so tell me something else. How long has Rogue been talking to the soda can?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean the colossal guy? He's gorgeous, isn't he? Pity he's only nineteen, can you believe it?"

"Still, not a big gap from ma belle's age… what's five years? Young guys like older girls." Looking moody, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Gambit, are you jealous? I can't believe it. Never thought I'd see this day! You of all people?" She laughed at him. "Besides, can't you read her by now?"

"What do you mean, weather witch?"

"Ok, take her eyes for instance. Her eyes are focused, straight ahead, which indicates her concentration and truthfulness. In other words, she's just paying attention to what the guy has to say."

"This is bad enough already. Humpf!"

"Oh, Gambit, can't you see? When she's talking to you, on the other hand, she looks at you, looks away, then looks back at you… then casts a lingering look at you. And what about the sighing? And the way she twirls her hair between her fingers? Not to mention how the poor thing keeps blushing when you tease her."

"Ok, I get your point. But I still don't like her talking to him." He confessed, and then he walked up to their way.

"Hey, Rogue. Hey, you." Gambit said, being greeted with nods by Rogue and Piotr. Rogue shifted her weight, looked away for a while as she started twirling her hair between her fingers. Gambit smirked at that.

"Sorry to interrupt, but, er, Rogue, I need to talk to you now."

"Now Gambit? Can't you see I'm talking to Piotr here, sugar? He's telling me lots of stuff about his country. It's so interesting how their culture is different from ours."

"Cool, but I really need to talk to you. Now if you'll excuse us." Gambit said as he swiftly interlaced his arm with hers and dragged her away with him. Piotr didn't understand much of what was going on so he just stayed standing there dumbstruck for a few seconds before snapping out of it and moving towards the two little girls. He sat near them and they engaged in cheerful conversation.

"What the heck was that, Gambit? You're not the boss of me! It'd better be important. That was so inappropriate!" She complained.

He smiled as she shot daggers at him. He couldn't help being a sadistic fool. He simply loved it when she was mad at him.

"It's nothing really, petite. I just don't want you talking too much to that guy. Who knows? You might end up stealing the poor chap's heart as well. And you don't want that, now do you? You know, with all that crap of not being able to touch people…"

"Go to hell, Gambit! Why are you trying to hurt me with these words?"

"Not trying to hurt you, ma chére. Just laying down the facts as they are. Well, you know what? At second thought, maybe I am trying to hurt you. You hurt me and I hurt you back. Unconscious self-defense mechanism, babe."

"I don't see anything unconscious about that. You're deliberately being an asshole! We are such a messed up pair! Oh, how in the world did we get into this? After everything we've been through, you are treating me like, like a… a thing! Like I'm your property, and I won't tolerate that. You make me wish you'd never looked at me that way."

"Sorry, chére. I don't ever want to make you sad or anything. But it's just that, I saw you and that guy, and it went over my head, sorry. I guess what I really want to say is that I will always be here. I'll stick around until you love me."

"Oh Gambit… " she trailed off feeling the anguish knot strangling her throat. She lowered her gaze and concentrated her thoughts to swallow the tears that were about to roll down.

'I do love you.' She thought but didn't voice it. "You say that now, but in no time you'll be seducing every woman you see as the perfect womanizer you've always been."

"If you keep stabbing my heart, I might actually have to, chére."

"Well, you do as you please, sugar. You're a big guy to decide what the hell you want to do with your life. I won't be the one holding you back." After having said that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving him behind with a smirk upon his face.

"Ma femme! I definitely love her angry ways!"

X X X X

All the residents were going out that night to celebrate Xavier's recovery, except for Piotr, Kitty, and Jubilee. The oldest of them offered to stay and look after the girls if they needed anything.

At the hall, everyone waited impatiently for the two late girls to show up so that they could go to a restaurant. Professor Xavier decided against the bar at the last minute. He knew how some of his protégés liked drinking a little too much. Storm was the first of the two to descend the staircase. She was wearing a white knee-length gown which contrasted marvelously with her lustrous ebony skin and also matched her hair color. The shimmering fabric hung tight at the right places showing off her fabulous body shape.

"Wow! You look stunning, my dear friend." Beast declared.

"She sure does." Jean said. "Now what about Rogue, Storm? Is she taking any longer? We are all dying to go."

"She'll be down in a minute." Just as Storm spoke, Rogue appeared and rushed down the stairs.

"Sorry, y'all. We were chatting while getting dressed, we lost the track of time."

The young woman was looking incredibly hot much to Remy LeBeau's delight and torture combined. She had that rock chic look that few people can pull off. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a slightly transparent black skin-tight top with long sleeves which she topped with a black vest that enhanced her tiny little waist. Her black leather ankle boots with killing heels and black leather gloves complemented the look. Her hair was sleek, bouncy, and shiny. And oh, she smelled so good.

'Why the fuck did she have to look that hot? Was it her way to punish me for earlier?' Gambit couldn't help but wonder.

Dinner ran smoothly without any mention of the two of them.

'Good!' she thought. Maybe their honeymoon in Savage Island had become old news already.

Xavier talked about how he wanted to ask Magneto to stay in the mansion for a while longer after he was fully recovered. Because the Professor is such a generous loving person, he believes everyone has the same good nature that he does. Having said that, he believed that if Magneto acknowledged a bit of what they had accomplished so far; saw how the mutants he'd trained behaved and cooperated with each other and how there is hope for change, he might join them in their effort to give mutants better quality of life amongst humans. That didn't go down very well with Cyclops and Wolverine, of course.

As they discussed the reason why and why not Magneto should stay, the conversation heated up. As a consequence, Rogue lost total interest in following their discussion.

Having Gambit sitting right next to her, she ignored how mad he made her feel that afternoon and started talking to him. At first, topics were silly things like the weather, that restaurant, the way Cyclops drove there. Then, moments later, they x-mansion-gossiped a little by talking about Wolverine's love for Jean, the way Piotr behaved around Kitty, and how Jubilee proved she's not that annoying little girl they once thought she was.

"The little girl's growing up." Rogue observed.

Little by little, the conversation evolved from talking about the silliest of things to confessing little things of their past and talking about expectations for the future. They'd shared a lot in a little over an hour. She told him things she hadn't told almost anyone in the mansion and he paid attention and welcomed her trusting in him and opening up a little bit more.

That woman was the only light his eyes were drawn to. It felt as if they were alone, just the two of them, even though they were surrounded by other people. He told her little anecdotes that made her laugh wholeheartedly filling his heart with joy. Seeing her at such ease around him made him smile openly and at times he would slowly get a little closer to her with his head tilted. She would laugh at his boldness and not take it as one of his advances.

As comfortable as he made her feel that night, she felt she could tell him anything at all. So she broke her silence about their most impending issue and told him how it was for her the absorbing people's minds thing and how complicated it could be at times to deal with all that. He listened to her intently, offered his support and comforting words.

In her mind, there was no harm in opening up to him. It's not like she was seducing him or anything like that. After all, they could be friends, right? Besides, he was being such a nice guy. No stupid lines or casual flirting. He was just being himself and that fascinated her. 'Perhaps this could work!' she thought. 'Perhaps this is more than just lust. It's obvious that we get along extremely well. There's harmony in our disharmony.'

During all the while, they were hypnotized by each others' shining eyes and seemed to have completely forgotten they had the company of their friends. They didn't even order dessert and it was only when everyone stood up and prepared to leave that they realized dinner was over.

Without saying a word, they got up and holding hands they followed the others. It was so natural, so right… Even though she had gloves on, the barrier was barely there. Everything about that night had been perfect, but as things go, perfection didn't last long with them.

As they walked through the darkness in the parking lot just behind the rest of the group, Gambit, he interlocked his fingers in hers and let him. At each step they took, they felt closer and more in syntony with one another. Then, without a care in the world, Remy bent down and kissed her.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Même si (Even if)

As everyone turned their backs to see why she was screaming in agony. Rogue who had pushed Gambit away from her as soon as she felt him kissing her was now shockingly all over his lips. She kissed him with a passion like fire.

Jean and Professor Xavier exchanged understanding looks. However, the other people were confused at the scene.

"OK. Knowing Gambit as I do, I assume he started kissing her. So as she feels she is absorbing his, well, his everything, she immediately stops it. She screams when she sees him lying unconscious on the ground because of her powers. And then, oh, she decides to kiss him a little more? It doesn't make much sense to me!" Wolverine said as he scratched his head in confusion. Cyclops nodded in agreement.

"Rogue, stop it! You are going to kill him!" Storm shouted, fearing for her best friend's life.

Despite the muffled voices around asking her to stop, she seemed oblivious to the fact she was going to hurt him badly should she go on. She kept kissing him, her eyes firmly closed as she held his face with greedy hands.

'Ma chére, I love you so much. Kissing you is so perfect, so meant to be! I can't get enough of your lips. I can't get enough of you!' His thoughts echoed in her mind and made her go on and on.

"Rogue, You gotta stop!" Cyclops yelled.

"Shhh! Let's just be silent for now! Professor Xavier is already trying to make her stop. He's inside her mind now." Jean stated firmly.

'Rogue, my dear, find the strength to dominate your mind. Block his thoughts for his own good.'

'Professor, help me. I'm trying, but I just can't. It's overwhelming! His feelings are too strong.' He could hear her faint voice pleading from a distance as he moved around her mind.

'Rogue, if you can't stop, you will end up killing him. And I know you don't want that. You wouldn't be able to live with that. You have to concentrate to push his thoughts away!'

'I… I can't! Help me, please. I can't do it on my own. I need your help, professor.'

Responding to her pleads, he formed an invisible shield around Gambit's memories and essence as best as he could considering the time restraint. Having such a limited time to act around Gambit's psyche so that her own self would emerge back to consciousness, he blocked a part of his psyche, just enough so that Rogue would have a fighting chance.

Still, the shield wouldn't stay up for long, and he knew it. He only wished it would be enough. However, the universe of the mind is a curious one, all the action took about two seconds back in reality grounds. There had been time. His voice in her head was silenced for just enough time to allow Rogue to let go of him.

When their lips parted and her arms fell to her sides, his seemingly lifeless body collapsed to the ground. Breathing shallowly, he remained still. His eyes were closed and his face had become dangerously pale. She gasped in horror, being herself for a second. She didn't have the time to help him though or do anything reasonable for that matter. His memories came back flooding her mind in no time.

Her screaming was deafening. Shaking and trembling, she fell on her knees. Rubbing her temples constantly, she kept screaming as his memories took her over. As in a photo slideshow, memory after memory presented itself to her.

First, she saw herself under a whole new light. She seemed prettier than she thought she was. Sparkling eyes, shiny hair, and plush lips were later followed by images of her body, her breasts, her torso, her back. It was all so confusing and disconcerting. Along came images of their nights of sex. Lots of it! She could feel being him, being inside of her, and feeling madly in love, heart about to burst as he moved against her hips.

That feeling was suddenly cut short when she felt the pain, the pain that was draining the life out of him, the pain of not having her in his life anymore.

'No! No! I don't want to know how he feels. I can't take it. Noooo!' she screamed inside her head, stumbling and falling to the ground.

Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she saw his worst memory: The massacre of the Morlocks. She felt as if it was herself leading others into the tunnels of New York City only to wipe out those poor mutants. As a whole, that group of mutants was a peaceful bunch, they didn't deserve it. Why would anyone bother to do that? Oh, the remorse. There were so many killings, terrible images, so much suffering, so much needless cruelty. Although he did try to stop it when he realized the goal of that mission, he'd been unsuccessful. The guilt! The pain inflicted upon him! It couldn't be undone. If only time could be turned back…

The torment she was immersed in at this point was so unbearable that it made her snap out of it all. She shook her head, stood up, and gazed around. Beast was taking Gambit in his arms. Apparently, Professor Xavier, Wolverine, and Storm were staying behind for her.

"Oh my God, I have hurt him! I'm such a monster. I hurt him!" She mumbled as the realization kicked in.

In distress and confusion, she walked awkwardly towards their car. So heavy with guilt, she didn't even try to fly. When she was near their car, she could only catch a glimpse of Jean's concerned stare directed to her before she stumbled and fell. There were some flyers on the ground which she inadvertently touched. Those were immediately charged with Gambit's kinetic energy causing two explosions.

In the meantime, Cyclops pushed the pedal to the ground. Gambit had to be taken care of and they just couldn't afford to wait around to see the chaos his powers trapped in Rogue's body would cause.

'Oh, God! What on Earth?' she said as she fought the smoke.

Disoriented, she stepped forward looking for something to hold on to. Eventually, just as the smoke subsided, she found something, Wolverine's bike. He rested her hands on it for support, breathing deeply. In a second, Wolvie's bike was charged and busted into flames. The impact threw her body soaring through the air. Luckily, Storm flew and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Fuck! That Cajun'd better steal me a new one!" Wolverine grunted.

"Ok, that leaves us only one car. We'll all have to ride in it. I guess I'll drive then." Storm stated. "Logan, could you please accommodate the professor in the back seat while I help Rogue out?"

"Sure, gorgeous."

"Rogue, you'll have to keep your hands in the air and not touch anything as we ride home." Charles advised.

"As if those were news for me…" She was herself again.

The following morning, Remy LeBeau was almost back to his full health. His mind was a bit hazy, and he felt a bit dizzy at times. There was a dull headache as well, but other than that, he felt fine. He had a vague memory of how he ended up in the med-lab yet again.

Her lips, her eyes, so shiny and inviting. It was only natural that he wanted to taste her kiss one more time. What a terrible mistake!

"How is she, Hank?"

"Good morning, LeBeau. And you're welcome." Hank replied sarcastically.

"Sorry, Hank. Thank you for caring for me, but I really need to know... How is she doing? Is she okay? I don't believe I could be so reckless."

"Well, you know you're the one who gets the short end of the stick in this situation, don't you?"

"It ain't fair to say that, I know she gets confused when she absorbs someone. She must be feeling guilty."

"It's a pity that you woke up only now. She was right here by your bedside until like twenty minutes ago. I told her to go and get some sleep."

"You mean, she was here?"

"Yes, she was. She wouldn't blink an eye all night, looking after you. She got really worried that she might have hurt you badly. Don't tell her I told you that, but she told you she loved you like a hundred times and also called you many, many names. Swamp rat and stupid thief being the two most popular ones."

Remy chuckled at the mental picture his mind painted of her doing that. He resumed his stay in the lab med but, as soon as Rogue heard Remy had woken up, she made a point of not going there again. It broke her heart, but that had been a wake-up call. She didn't want Remy to find Cody Robbins' fate.

There was no nice way of doing what was right. She had to get away from him, for once and for all.

X X X X

One month passed by after the incident and Rogue managed to keep a distance from the one she loved during this excruciatingly long period. As heartbreaking as it was for her, it was paramount that she kept away. She'd asked Xavier's permission to train at the danger room at different times as he did. Even in missions, she would avoid going when he did.

During her therapy sessions with Professor Xavier, among other things, she got his support to go through the absence of her love. Those sessions were primarily scheduled to consolidate the isolation of Ms. Marvel's memories and psyche from hers. However, as the infamous kiss happened, he also helped her erase his memories from her mind too.

She still remembered most of what she'd seen, but not from a first-person perspective. It was painful enough to have to be away from him, having to feel the love he felt for her was unbearable. Even worse than that was to know about his past and the suffering it brought to his life. Now they were all distant memories, vague enough for her to be able to live with them.

Their abrupt separation might have been harsh, but she decided she couldn't go slow on it or it would simply never happen. He had to forget her. He had to move on, maybe go and love someone else.

If only she could make him believe she didn't love him. Perhaps then, he would give up. He would move on to the next hot girl who caught his eye. He still had alternatives, she didn't have that luxury.

'I hope this month has given him some perspective. He deserves better than that. Unless I master control over my powers, that's the way it has to be.' She repeated in her head from time to time to convince herself in the process.

If all it took was her heart to be sacrificed so that at least one of them could finally happy, so be it.

He had given her happy memories, she would hold on to them for as long as she lived. She had been loved, truly loved by someone she loved back. That is a privilege she thought she would never have. The memories of their days of love and passion would always be cherished.

She felt blessed for the time they had together, for the love they shared, and the best of that feeling of belonging would always remain in her heart. She would always love that rascal, she knew it.

For all that, he deserved better. He deserved someone that could give him everything she couldn't. Besides, she didn't have a way out of it. He did.

X X X X

Never had he imagined the way she was going to react. His kiss was just a reflex of what he was feeling. He felt her so close that night. 'How could he have been that inconsequent?' was the question everyone asked him. Why couldn't they see it was only human that he wanted to connect to her physically as well?

A simple kiss. It was all it had been. And that simple kiss that was supposed to bridge the gap between them, had in fact drifted them oceans apart. It would be so nice not having to choose between what's right or wrong for a change. Kissing her when she could have killed him was wrong, but it felt so right. It's true that he had been given options, be just friends with her, but now even those options were simply out of question.

Bottom line was that he was selfish again. He acted on impulse and was paying too much of a high price for that.

"Now it's over. I've completely lost any hopes. She's avoiding me like it's nobody's business! My heart is on the floor, Logan." He finished off another beer.

"So have someone else pick it up for you. Simple as that. That had never seemed to be a problem in the past." He said in a hoarse voice through the smoke he exhaled.

"Easier said than done, mon ami. Besides, it wasn't like this before, before I didn't feel like this."

"I know. If my advice were any good, I wouldn't give it, I'd sell it."

"C'est vrai. And I would steal it from you."

"Humm… - he slurped some more beer - Have you heard? Magneto is finally leaving the mansion next week."

"We should throw a party in celebration. What do you think?" He smirked.

"And Xavier thought his old friend would stick with us. Sometimes I think the old man is going mad."

"I know! Now tell me about it! When I.. when, you know, that thing happened. I spent the night under Beast's care and the magnetic freak was on the bed next to me. Can you believe that he asked me a lot of stuff about me and Rogue in the next morning?"

"Really? Like what?"

"First, he said she'd come that night when I was still sleeping, cried a little, and left in silence."

"Magneto never fails to impress me. Now he's a big mouth, huh?"

"Oui, seems so. I already knew it, Beast had told me. But then, he came with this strange talk about how I could be with her if I joined him. He said he planned to kick Sinister's ass in revenge for what he'd done to him. And also, he would take the Savage Land back, get rid of the evolution thing, dinosaurs, and all, and have mutants he considered powerful to inhabit it. Or he said he would start a planet from scratch. Can you believe this guy?"

"Nutjob!"

"Exactly! He said he wanted to form a new generation of powerful mutants. People smart enough, so he said, to realize that Xavier's dream of peaceful affirmation of mutant rights and co-existence of mutants and humans are utopia."

"What a traitor! Trying to recruit an X-Men in the X-Mansion is stabbing the prof's back right under his roof! So what did you tell him?"

"I told him I didn't want anything to do with him and his savage land, mutant planet, or whatever."

"Good!"

"But then, he started teasing me. He asked me if I would follow Rogue wherever she went, even if she decided to leave the X-Men."

"And would you?"

"I would. But I wouldn't let her do anything she'd regret later. We'd never join Magneto, I'm sure she wouldn't be tricked into anything like that just for the touch thing."

"That's what you say. You can't know about that. Everyone has their price."

"No, I'm sure. She's not like us. Not like me, anyway."

"Well, if you say so. I'll grab myself another beer 'cause I've just run out of my social lubricant. Would you like one too?"

"Oui, Logan. Merci."

After his drinking mate left the table and strode to the counter, he looked around narrowing his eyes from time to time. Assessing possible victims or lucky winners for later, he flashed his smirk in anticipation. Yes, he was back in the old routine.

Some things had changed though. For one thing, he'd improved his techniques: he only wanted green-eyed girls. Looking into eyes that would slightly resemble hers did the trick for him. Another thing was that he was not as keen as he'd been as far as casual sex was concerned. Just making out would suffice. He didn't know how much longer he would stick to that new rule, but he was willing to try, for her, for the sake of the time they'd spent together. He wanted her to be the last one he slept with.

He exhaled deeply. Well, maybe he wouldn't go hunting tonight. He was sober enough to know that kissing someone else wouldn't solve the problem. Far from it in fact, it was just a pathetic lie. He wondered when it would all end if it ever would at all.

If she was shutting him out to try to make him forget her, her attempt couldn't be more disastrous. Love like that doesn't happen every day and it just didn't go away that way either. If only she knew, if she knew how he felt, as if she was the only thing that could make a better man out of him. Oh, wait! She did know. Very well, indeed.

X X X X

She looked through the window feeling relieved. It was almost five a.m. when he arrived with Wolverine. She wiped her tear wet face. It seemed that things were going back to normal for him. He was out and about.

'Maybe one of us will be out of this unharmed.' That thought was followed by a sad smile on her face and she wondered when that heartache would ever end.

For now, knowing he was back home unharmed sufficed. She was finally able to go and try to get some sleep.

Just as she vanished from her window, he looked up at it and wondered if she was sleeping well or was still having those weird dreams of hers. Even if she kept away from him, she was all he cared for and could think about.

'Maybe one day, I'll learn to live with this feeling, for now, I'm still struggling.' He thought as he went into the mansion.


	13. Chapter 13

On fine days such as that one, there was some sort of energy in the mansion. It was as if the greeting smiles were a bit brighter than usual, and it infused her soul with positivity, raised her higher.

Rogue was strolling lazily through the corridor when she realized the firework girl was striding purposefully and quickly towards her. At the sight of her, Rogue was seized by an uncharitable aversion. Because of the way she looked at her, Rogue felt that the young girl was accusing her of something and she resented it.

"OK, Rogue. We've had enough and tonight you're going to have to spill the beans!"

"What? And hey, what kind of attitude is that, missy? I'm still older than you and your teacher at times, so you'd better rephrase that." She rolled her eyes and continued walking. She couldn't quite believe Jubilee was ruining what started out as a perfect morning.

"Sorry." Jubilee hurriedly replied with a stupid shoe shiner smile. Her own invention, she claimed. It was only a forced grin she used whenever she pissed off an X-Men and couldn't take the consequences. It worked with most of the seniors, not with Rogue, though.

"Well, Storm asked me to come to find you and tell you that!"

"Oh, really? Did she use these exact words?"

""Well, not really those words, but duh! Almost the same… The thing is we are finally having the girls slumber party tonight! How cool is that? And I think they want you to finally tell us all about you and Gambit. You know, you two, Savage Island... I love you, chére!" And she finalized her speech with some smooch sounds that disarmed even Rogue. She laughed out loud.

"And you've been invited?" She narrowed her eyes at the teenager.

"Sure have! Me and Kitty! And don't start getting all grumpy about us going, pleeease! It's going to be fun. Come on!"

"Relax, sugar. I'm just giving you a hard time because, well, you are… you. I'm sure it will be nice. I don't know about me telling you guys about Gambit, but it would be nice to spend some time with you girls. Whose room is it going to be on this time?"

"Jean's! It's the biggest and she's kicking Scott out for us. I guess he's finally going out with the guys to give us some room."

"Wow, that doesn't happen often! No chance I'd miss that. You can tell Ororo I'll be there."

"Ok, see you at nine."

'These girls, of course, they are after something. What do they want? That I sign a crime confession or something?' She thought as she headed to the kitchen.

She knew they would definitely be discussing Gambit, a lot actually. She had run away from doing so for far too long. But maybe it wouldn't be all bad, it was high time she talked to someone about their drama anyway. And who could better listen to her and give some urgently needed piece of advice if not her friends? She knew she'd been avoiding that for too long. The time had come.

X X X X

"Ok, let's pretend this is not the sole reason for this meeting, right?" Jean told the others.

"Well, I thought we'd all be talking non-sense, watching movie flicks, eating ice cream, and opening our hearts in the late hours of the night. Isn't it what girlie pajama parties are all about?" Kitty asked looking a bit confused.

"Yeah, Kitty. Of course, it is. It's just that Jean is all freaked about Rogue. She's been feeling reluctance in her for weeks already. She hasn't talked to anyone about it, except for Professor Xavier. And he has his moral conduct rules and stuff. He would never ever be telling us any of it." Jubilee explained.

"I guess she might as well surrender and let us know what actually happened. It's clear as day that she needs to hear a thing or two about relationships. Her lack of skills in dealing with this whole situation is cringy worthy. She'll come to us, she will." Storm added confidently and the other women nodded in unison.

X X X X

Later that day, on her way to Jean's room, she bumped into him. Since peeking through her window didn't count, it had been about a week since they'd officially saw each other.

Seeing her coming his way, he didn't even know if he was supposed to greet her or not, confused as he was by the mixed signals she's sent him since coming back from the Savage Land. Should he acknowledge her or just keep walking? Which would she prefer? Thankfully, she took care of that dilemma for him.

"Hi, Gambit." She said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Bonjour, chére." He spoke in that sexy accent of his and unashamedly gave her the once-over look.

"Haven't seen much of each other lately, huh?" She tried to act friendly.

"Oh Rogue, don't gimme that! Just cut the bullshit, will you?"

"I beg your pardon!"

"Chére, Gambit here is no dumb. I know you are keeping a distance from me deliberately."

"Humpf! Well, maybe I am then."

"Pourquoi?" He leaned closer. Quite close to her lips, in fact. Her brain instantly registered that as dangerous and it made her heart jump. In a rush, she stepped back to increase the distance between them and he noticed it. He chuckled at that feeble attempt and came closer once again. So close that strands of her white hair brushed his lips as he bent down, lips close to her ear.

"Don't worry, ma belle. I'm not kissing you." He whispered in her ear. Curious thing is that, for a fraction of a second, she truly wished he were. "And just in case you're wondering. I guess your little plan is not working. Gambit has nothing but love for you and still wants you in his life, you see. I'm ready for you at any time, chére. "

'Oh, fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Close your eyes, Anna. Count till 10. Breathe slowly. You cannot lose you cool.' A distracting voice said inside her head.

The pretentious little bastard! Why did he think there was a plan? There was no plan! In her mind, she was doing the right thing, what had to be done and that was that. There was no stupid plan. He made it sound like she was having fun at the cost of his happiness. That is was some wicked game that she was playing. It wasn't. She was protecting him! Why couldn't he see that?

But before she had the chance to voice her discontent at his words, he had vanished.

X X X X

As the card kept spinning with the flick of his hand, he thought about their short encounter. He sat on a branch of a tree just outside the mansion. Swinging his right leg back and forth, he kept on playing with his deck of cards.

Seemingly, controlling the movements of a card helped him think, or so he thought it did.

'Why did I have to say that? Yeah, stupid me will always be waiting for you… Seriously! Oh yes! I forgot! Because I'm just a sucker with no self-esteem.'

The card glowed red. He kept charging and discharging it randomly.

'But what can I do if the mere sound of her voice makes me feel that good? I try to keep away from her, but just as I always do, I fuck up every single thing. But, you know what, I'm fed up! I've just had enough. I quit! I give up! I won't be putting up this good boy act any longer. Tonight I will forget her existence at any cost, even if it's only for tonight. No one has it all in life and you gotta make the most of what you've got. So I'll just go and look for her in other eyes, other bodies; I don't care what it takes. One thing I know for sure, I'll forget her. Even if it's just for tonight.'

X X X X

She exhaled deeply. I hope they don't make me regret leaving my safe state of quarantine.

'I'm not even feeling that well, maybe I could use that as an excuse and say I only came here to say I'm not staying.' She contemplated her options as she knocked on the door.

Much to her dismay, the door was opened by Kitty who had a huge smile on her face that simply forbade her to lie and go back to her room. The girl seemed sincerely happy to see that she'd come. There was something about that girl, some kind of halo that made everyone love her. Rogue was no exception to that rule.

"Come on in, Rogue. Everyone is already here. I'm glad you arrived."

"I'm happy to see you too, Kitty." She said. "Hey you, girls! How are you, people?"

Everyone was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by cushions and pillows. All of them were actually wearing pajamas.

"I didn't know we were supposed to be wearing pajamas. I mean, our rooms are just across the hall. It's not like we are going to actually sleep here, is it?"

"No worries, Rogue. Jubilee probably forgot to tell you that. It's just to give more character to the party." Storm said.

"Oh, okay then. I could just go and get mine."

"No, no, no. Just sit here with us. We were discussing which movie we should watch first."

"Hmmm, let me see. What are the options? My Happy Wedding or My Perfect Life With My Boy or maybe Look How I'm Hot and You're Not? This is all bullshit!"

"Hey, these are not actual movie titles!" Jean responded a little too offended at Rogue's joke.

"I know, sugar. It's just that these movies are so unreal. They distort reality and is that what we want to feed the little girls here with? Really all they do is make you feel bad because your life is not exactly like what they show on the screen. I mean they always involve the same thing as someone meeting the man of their dreams, getting married and/or pregnant. Like us girls had nothing else to do in life rather than dream of Prince Charming."

"Wow, Rogue. I totally agree with you on that one." Jubilee said. "Action movies are so much better!"

"Talking of Prince Charming, I think I may have found mine." Kitty said in a low voice and sighed. But no one seemed to have noticed her.

"Oh Rogue, how can you be so unromantic?" Jean asked.

"It's not that!" She answered as quickly as she could manage, sounding a little too offended.

"Yes, it is! Look at what you're doing to Gambit!" Jean snapped.

"Say what?" she said with fury and indignation in her voice.

"Er… I guess we should go downstairs and make the popcorn, Jubilee." Kitty said winking at Jubilee so that she would get the cue to get up and go so that the so-called adults would have a moment alone to sort out their differences.

The girls left. Jean and Rogue were still exchanging unfriendly looks when Storm decided to intervene.

"Jean, you shouldn't have been harsh on Rogue. You know how hard this must be for her. On the other hand, Rogue, Jean only voiced what all of us think."

"What?"

"Listen, I love that man to death. I mean it! I am the one who introduced him to the X-Men. He helped me when no one would. When I was alone, isolated, and battered, he helped me escape from the Shadow King. And he didn't even know me back then. After that he proved himself again to me when he rescued me from Nanny and the Orphan-Maker, helping me battle them. That's why I brought him with me when I came back from that horrific episode of my life. He had been there for me, he was wandering that part of the world trying to find himself, I suppose. I don't know exactly why he saved me, a total stranger to him, but I do believe that says a lot about his character. He may be all games and women, but he has a good heart. I know him, I know how he feels about you. He told me all about it since it started. I didn't take him seriously at first, it's true. But seeing the shape he's in now, I truly believe he's in love with you. That's why watching you ignore the poor thing just breaks my heart. And I guess this is true about most of us."

She was speechless. What could she possibly say after that? She lowered her head and bit her lips. She felt her eyes welling with tears and had to struggle to keep them under control.

"Rogue, what's going on with you two? We are totally clueless. We don't know what went down between the two of you in the Savage Island. We can imagine, but we are not sure about what terms you were there and how it all changed here. We know two things only. One is that you changed all your routine to avoid him and the other is that this is really getting the best of him. He's not joking all the time as he used to, he looks so sad sometimes and the worst is when he asks any of us about you. And you, you don't even have to see that!" Jean's soft and low voice screamed accusation.

"Oh, God! Is that what you all think? I can't believe it! I am trying to protect him. Can't you see how I hurt him? I've hurt him physically and emotionally. He's gotta get over me. And the only way that can be done is if he doesn't see me at all. He has all the potential to have a happy life, don't you see? While I am hopeless for I just can't control this curse of power I have."

"And what about Savage Island?" Jean asked her tentatively.

"I, we, we had sex there. That what you all wanted to hear from me, right? There, said it."

"What that all it was for you? Just sex?" Stormed asked her.

"No, we made love, okay? Every single day, and it was wonderful. He was my first one as you can all imagine and it was better than everything I had ever dreamed of. But when we were there, we didn't talk about it, like, we didn't give a name to what we were doing. But it was the best, it was as if he was my boyfriend and I loved those days I spent with him there. He wanted us to be together here as well. But how could I ever? He needs to get over me!"

"Have you ever asked him if he wants to get over you?" Jean asked her in a low voice.

"Oh Jean, what a stupid thing to say! Of course he'd say he doesn't. But he's impulsive; he doesn't know what's right for him. He refuses to acknowledge that we just can't be together. Besides, he is delusional. He really believes he will always love me."

"How can you know that? How do you know he won't?" Storm asked.

"Profit only comes to risk-takers. No one ever knows how a relationship is going to turn out until they actually jump in the pool of freezing cold water." Jean added.

"Easy for you to say when you already have a happy love life with Scott, Jean. And it's not like it's ever been this difficult with you guys. You don't have a cross to bear as I do."

"Oh, please, would you stop being a martyr? I just want you to confess you are afraid of being happy." Jean said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Me? Afraid? Of course I'm not afraid!"

"That's exactly what it is!" Jean confirmed. "I'm a telepath, remember?"

"So just answer this one question. Be truthful. Do you love him?" Storm asked her friend.

"Her eyes went wide at the realization of what she would have to admit. "I, I, well, I…"

"Come on, Rogue. No protests, no stuttering, just answer the damn question!"

"God, Jean! I never knew you could be such a bully!" Storm said.

"I do… I love him. I love him so much my heart stops for a second when I get a glimpse of that swamp rat! Was that what you wanted to hear? But I don't know what to make of it. How could we ever have a fulfilling relationship when we cannot touch?"

A stubborn tear rolled down her face. Storm and Jean looked at each other and nodded. They knew what had to be done, so they both tenderly threw their arms around their friend who was now sobbing.

"You have to talk to him, darling. That's all you have to do. He deserves to have a say on all this." Storm said.

The door opened. The girls came in, each carrying a bowl filled with popcorn to the top. Apparently, the time they've spent in the kitchen had been fruitful. The atmosphere they left was completely different from the one they were coming back to now. As they came into the room, Rogue stood up abruptly.

"What's that terrible smell? Oh god! It's so bad I…" and she rushed to the bathroom with both hands covering her mouth. As she ran into the toilet, she communicated with Jean mentally: 'Is it alright if I use your bathroom?' Having a telepath friend definitely had its perks.

When she rejoined them, Jubilee said.

"Hey, you've had my cheese popcorn last time and didn't complain. I've done it exactly the same way as last time! Used the same ingredients and all." One could tell Jubilee was offended by the tone of her voice.

"It smells ok to me." Kitty said offering her friend a kind smile.

"It can't be. Last time it didn't smell this foul! The cheese you used must have expired!"

"It's nothing with your popcorn, child. I'm afraid this might be something else…" Storm said.

"What? Why are you all staring at me? Definitely not my day today, huh?" She said as she covered her mouth with her hands and rushed to the bathroom again.

X X X X

Man, that was a hot one. Luckily, that girl didn't resemble her at all. She had long straight dark brown hair, enormous brown eyes, and a figure that made his mouth water. Not as toned as her, but still.

Back at the bar, her sensuous lips turned up in provocative smiles that promised unspoken delights, just what he needed. Sexy, inviting and so cool about the whole thing. The languishing look she offered him back then made her a very interesting prey for the night.

And that had been a hell of a night! The guys only night had been great, well, at least what he could remember of it. Before heading to the bar, they'd gone to a game. That part of the night he definitely remembered in detail, the stadium, the game and all. He also knew that the Piotr guy had finally surrendered and joined the group.

Drinking, discussing the game, eating shitty burgers, yeah, he did remember some of the action in the bar. What time the guys left though, he didn't have a clue. Images of the smoky place floated in his mind, the smell of alcohol in some girl's breath, not this one he was riding now, he knew. He'd kissed others before her but couldn't work out exactly how many. That was rehab, Gambit's style.

The nameless girl was writhing excitedly, her legs thrashing and her hands pulling on his hair. He mechanically did what he did best, he pleased the girl, just as he always did please all of them in bed. He moved over her body, stopping to kiss and touch a thigh here, a breast there, planting his lips gently on her ears and neck and eyelids. She reached up to envelop him in her arms. Her mouth touched his neck and shoulders, nibbling on his chest. He had her crying out in pain, her nails raking his back urging him to drive into her as hard and quickly as he could.

Feeling the alcohol effect wear off a bit, he thought of his belle for the first time in hours. So he then grabbed the girl's waist a little violently, turned her around, and took her from behind. Probably taking that as a sexy move, she moaned with pleasure.

'Better not to look at her face and see I'm inside someone else.' he thought. Then, a thought occurred to him. How on Earth was he fucking this woman in his own bedroom? He never brought anyone back to the mansion, that's what hotels are for.

X X X X

Two a.m. Having listened to some commotion coming from the garage, she jumped up out of bed abruptly. She was determined to talk to him that same night. The girls had made her see the light. It had to be done as soon as he arrived or her renewed courage would slip away.

Leaning on her windowsill, she watched intently, her eyes fluttering anxiously from side to side until she realized he was not with them. Sighing heavily at the news, she slowly crawled back into her bed. Tired as she was, she ended up drifting into sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – The Present

She heard the familiar voice call out her name. It filled her whole being with terror, guilt, and remorse.

"Rogue, darling. You can run but you can't hide. I say we share this body. What do you think? I think your professor could even help us out with this one, huh? Besides, I'm not weak like you, I'm sure I can control your powers for you. I could even lend you some consciousness as we fuck him."

"No! No! You can't! I'm sorry!"

It had been another one of those nightmares with Ms. Marvel. Not technically nightmares since the superhero inhabited her mind, an encounter would be a better way to call it.

Professor Xavier wouldn't be very thrilled about it. After so much therapy and work together, this shouldn't be happening anymore.

She looked at the clock: four a.m. First thing that crossed her mind: Remy LeBeau. She had to talk to him.

She got up from the bed, gave a quick look at the mirror examining herself for a second. Her hair was all disheveled, a bit of it still held together with a scrunchy and her bangs were all over the place. She was wearing a cotton chemise short enough for him to ignore the hair though. Besides, he had seen her in worse shape before. Hardly did she look glamorous after a battle.

Making sure she didn't make any brusque sounds, she tip-toed her way to his bedroom. When she got to his door, she stopped short of knocking.

Sounds of sex invaded her ears. A loud moan, not hers, someone else's. The squeaky noise the bed made. The headboard thwacking on and on against the wall. His gasps for air. His groaning. It was too much for her to handle, she felt nauseated. To avoid throwing up right there in front of his door, she flew as quickly as she could through the corridor. The glass window was her final obstacle for freedom, for some comfort, for air.

She felt the urgent need to throw herself into the cold air of the night, so that she could finally breathe again, so that her heart wouldn't stop beating. Without thinking twice, she flew through the glass, breaking it into many tiny pieces. The glass window wasn't the only thing that got damaged; she got little cuts all over her forearm and knuckles which was good, she thought. The physical pain soothed the emotional one.

Tears rolled down her eyes uncontrollably. These were not angry tears, but sad ones. She couldn't be mad at him when it was her that practically threw him to other women. She got what she wished for, didn't she? She told him and everyone who wanted to hear that he had to move on from her, fall in love with someone else. Why was it so hard to take it then?

"Rogue! What in the world was that?"

She turned around only to find Storm flying towards her. How could she forget that his bedroom was just next to hers and that she would definitely listen to the sound the glass shattering into pieces?

"I was going to do as you guys told me. I was going to talk to him. But as I went to his room, I heard him and someone else. He is screwing some bitch just as we speak."

"Oh, my dear! I'm sorry. Here, give me your hand. Let's go down and we'll talk about it."

"Storm, you are so kind. But really, this is all my fault. I deserve it, don't I?"

"No, you don't, dear. It's only natural that you get upset."

Noticing her friend was shaking uncontrollably, she got very concerned about her friend, especially after she seemed to be unwell earlier that evening.

"Come on. Let's go down. There's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. And to top it all, you are hardly wearing something suitable for flying." She spoke softly and winked at her.

"Ok, I'll go with you." She said as she wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "Ororo, thank you for this. You are truly an angel."

"You tell that to Wolverine so that he will stop calling me weather witch." She said jokingly.

The two women spent the rest of the night in the kitchen talking and sipping some green tea. Rogue felt so relieved and thankful she had a friend like Storm she could always rely on. Such insightful things she pointed out. It felt so good to have someone on both sides.

Being a friend of her and his, she was very impartial in her remarks. And an unbiased perspective of things was just what she needed to get at that point.

Adding to that, Storm convinced her to see Hank about her nausea first thing in the morning. She was reluctant at first.

"That's not a big deal. It will most definitely go away." She'd insisted.

"I have a feeling this could be something else rather than an upset stomach, you know?"

In the end, she gave in to her friend's strong recommendation. There was no point in arguing.

Just as the first rays of sunshine made their way through the kitchen window, they hugged a brief goodbye and went to bed.

X X X X

After he'd reached his climax, he dozed off for a while only to wake up startled at the realization the woman was still there. She slept soundly with her head on his chest.

Skillfully he pulled his body from under her very slowly so that she wouldn't wake up. Once out of bed, he pulled his trench coat from the floor and reached for his cell phone inside the coat pocket. He flicked it open and called a private hire cab company. A woman picked up the phone. He told the address and ordered it to arrive as soon as possible. When asked about the passenger's name, things got complicated.

"Good question, chére. Would 'hot brunette' be ok?"

After that, he had to beg her to believe it was not a prank call, give them his credit card number. He even offered to pay double the fare to get the car.

"Ok, sir. Your car is expected to arrive in fifteen minutes. Is that alright?' What a relief! Now all he had to do was to escort the lady to the mansion entrance and that was it.

After that was taken care of, back to his room once again, he fell heavily on his bed. He exhaled deeply as his coherent thoughts were back to where they left off: he was missing her yet again. The binge drinking and casual sex had definitely paid off, he decided. One night without having to go through the pain of not having her in his life was totally worth it.

X X X X

It was probably the first hours of the afternoon. The sun poured through the cracks in the blind and awaited entrance into the beautiful woman with the white-streaked hair who was still half-asleep at that time of the day. She took a moment to shed the sleep from her and to allow the torment of the previous night to give way to the visions of a bright new day.

'Why didn't anyone call me to wake me up?' She wondered as that was the first thought that crossed her mind.

The sun was high in the sky already. After blinking her eyes repeatedly for about a second, her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness that flooded her room. And then, just as reality rushed back into her mind, she remembered. Her heart sank immediately at the thought.

Then, she replayed their best moments, him and her in the Savage Land. It had been so picture-perfect and now, there he was, having someone else. Alone as she was now, there was no point in fighting the tears that streamed down her face.

Unsure whether she should still talk to him, she got dressed in a rush and prepared to leave her room just to be surprised the moment she stepped out of her room by a big square box that had been carefully placed next to her door. It looked like a present. The box was wrapped up in a beautiful silvery paper and had a big pink ribbon tied in a pretty bowknot decorating the top of it. Also, it featured a gift tag with her name on it.

She took it inside her room, sat on her bed, and started to open the package hastily. Should she be excited about it? She couldn't decide. After tearing it open, she saw there was an object wrapped around the white soft lining. An envelope was placed on top of it. She opened it to find a handwritten letter. Though it looked neat, it was hardly legible. Bad doctor's handwriting…

'Oh, Hank!' She thought and smiled at the idea of him sending her a gift to cheer her up. Even though he was immersed in his project, he had probably caught up she needed some gestures of affection from her friends, she thought.

My dear friend Anna Marie,

I am writing this letter to accompany your long-delayed present. I am very excited to be able to finally give you this. It is the product of intense research and three months' work. However, knowing you, as I do, I am confident to say that each hour spent on the lab working on this will be fully compensated when I see you smiling beautifully in gratitude and happiness.

I believe you will remember the dreadful time you've spent in Genosha four months ago. I reckon your life was quite miserable there as you were among the ones kidnapped by Genoshan Magistrates, under the order of the Genegineer. That was made possible in part because they had placed those power-negating collars around your necks. At the time, I became intrigued to discover how such a device worked. As a result of my curiosity, I brought a broken collar home with me to try and figure it out.

Since we came back, seeing how sad you had been about your powers and also after realizing how Gambit felt about you, I was determined to make a collar like that one. Due to the fact, I had the motivation to unveil the mechanism of the object to use it for a good cause; it was very pleasurable work indeed. I took the liberty of making it more fashionable so you could use it whenever you felt like it. However, I have to say I could not eliminate the intermittent red light on it. So I put it in a way that if you turn it back and have your hair over it, it will not be noticeable and it will easily pass as a piece of fashionable jewelry. I hope you like silver jewelry.

I sincerely hope that this project of mine will make your life much happier. I can give you further instructions on how to operate it. Besides, Storm told me you may be in need of my assistance. I'll be around the mansion. Just look for me, I'll be ready for you whenever you are.

I look forward to seeing you.

Yours faithfully

Dr. Henry McCoy

P.S.: Jubilee helped me with the tests. She didn't fully understand what it was for though. Don't blame her for not telling you before. BTW, she approved the design.

She couldn't believe what she had just read. She cautiously set the white lining aside and removed the collar from the box. It was simply stunning. It was a silver choker with an asymmetrical cut out style.

'How did Hank get the hang of fashion to make such an eye-catching piece?' she wondered.

The little light he mentioned was there, but it was quite small and it was placed next to the unusual opening mechanism. It was probably that that needed some further instructions as he'd mentioned in the letter. Carefully, she put the necklace back in the box as if to preserve it and safely keep it for special occasions.

Generally speaking, a present makes anyone happy. But what she was feeling right now was beyond happiness, that was so unique and life-changing. She'd be forever grateful for that and wondered if anyone could ever pay back such a favor. Probably not, she decided.

As she cradled the box in her arms, as if it were her own beautiful baby, she shed happy tears. That was the answer to all her immediate problems. She felt so high in happiness, she could hardly think straight. Seemingly, she even temporarily blocked the thoughts of Gambit and the other woman from her mind. Snapping back into reality for a second, she jumped out of bed.

'I have to thank him.' And with that thought, she grabbed the box with overly exaggerated prudence and care. Rogue headed to the infirmary with a huge smile on her face. From now on, every step forward would be like following the yellow brick road.

Even if that was an artificial way to control her powers, the future could only be bright, or so she hoped.

X X X X

In another part of the mansion, Professor Xavier talked to Remy LeBeau and Scott Summers.

"Scott, Remy, thanks for coming this promptly. I have a mission for you. It won't take more than a day though. With the help of Cerebro I've found out that Slab is in New York. Here's the address I got, Scott. I want you two to approach him discreetly and get some information on what happened since we've left the Savage Land. We need to know if Sinister is planning to strike again any time soon and act accordingly if he is."

"Understood, Professor." Cyclops said firmly.

"Gambit, I want you to be extra careful. It came to my attention that they would very much like to have you back on their team."

"They don't stand a chance against moi, prof. Merci pour votre concern anyway, Professor."

"You're welcome, Gambit. Now, off you go. I have to meet with Hank, Rogue, and Storm in the infirmary now. I'll see you, lads, later."

"Rogue? In the infirmary? Is ma belle okay?"

"Yes, she is, Gambit. We're just discussing, well, dealing with something else."

Gambit raised an eyebrow and eyed the professor suspiciously. Obviously, as much as he got along with Cyclops, he'd rather be on a meeting of which Rogue was going to participate than spending the day with Scott.

Then he remembered the professor should only be following that stupid plan of hers to keep him away. He sighed heavily and, for the first time that day, he thought of the things he did last night. Maybe he'd have to repeat those extreme pain-relieving techniques later. As they walked to the hangar in silence, his phone rang, startling him. Without checking who was calling first, he calmly touched the screen to take the call.

"Hey, handsome." A woman's voice spoke excitedly.

"Who's that?" He asked coldly.

"Is that how you talk to me, sugar? Have you forgotten about last night already?"

"Of course not, chère. But don't call me sugar, right? You can call me Remy." He replied. 'Only she can call me that', he thought.

"If you say so, Remy. That's ok, won't call you sugar, babe. But then, you have to promise you won't call me Rogue. Of all fantasies men have, that was really strange. What's that even supposed to mean, sexy?" She giggled.

Oh, he must have been so wasted. He not only gave her his real number, if that hadn't been enough, but he had also called her Rogue during sex.

"So…" she went on. "I was thinking, maybe, we should meet again tonight. What do you think?"

"Chère, I'm a little busy right now, we'll see about that later." One could feel no emotion whatsoever in his voice. He was already wracking his brain, looking for an original excuse.

"Listen, I'll be at the club at the same time as last night. If you want me, I mean, to see me, just show up, right?"

Yes, she was too eager to see him again. Who wouldn't be? Something about that Cajun boy that made all women cross the line.

"Ok, chère." And with that, he hung up. Looking displeased, he put his phone back into his coat pocket. Once inside the helicopter, Cyclops analyzed him for a second and asked.

"So, Gambit, seems you're moving on, huh?"

"None of your business, mon ami. But if you really want to know, that was just a mistake. A mistake I may make again tonight, it all depends on how low I'll be feeling. What I really want to do right now is kick Slab's ass. Gambit doesn't forget how that moron punched ma belle. If I get to do that, maybe I won't even need to do her again, I mean, to make the same mistake again." He said with a sneer.

X X X X

In the med-lab, Rogue cautiously closed the door behind her only to realize she hadn't been the first to arrive, even though she was early for their meeting.

"Uh-oh!" She said as she saw the three of them. "Storm, you involved even the prof. in your crazy suspicion? And how on earth did you know I'd be coming around right now?"

"Well, with that we had to count on the professor's sensibility. He sensed you were all happy now so we imagined you'd be coming here soon." Storm said seriously, only to lighten up a second later, and let out a huge smile. "So? Are you excited?" She asked her friend.

"About the collar? Oh my god! I think I might have a heart attack at any minute now!" She turned to Hank. "Hank! My savior! How will I ever be able to thank you properly? Come on, I want you to put this on. You're the first person I want to touch."

If he were not blue, he might have blushed at that. After showing her to open the necklace and activate the power nullifier, he placed it around her neck, carefully not touch her while she still had her powers on. After he closed it, he asked her to try to fly, just to check it was working. She couldn't fly! It had worked!

"Hank, I already loved you, my friend. But after this, you earned a special friend place in my heart." She jumped up to hug him, squeezed him hard for a while. Before letting him go, she planted a brief sisterly peck on his lips. A tear rolled the ape looking face of his.

"I am so content I can make you this happy with my work!" They smiled broadly at each other.

"Oh, can I just go and hug you all? I want to touch you all! Is that ok?"

"Of course it is, Rogue!" Professor Xavier said, looking delighted himself. She then hugged and kissed him on his cheek before going and kissing her friend Storm on both cheeks and hugging her tight for a while.

"I'm so happy to feel you guys, to finally be able to show my love physically, just like everyone else." She looked at Hank again with gratitude and love shining through her eyes.

"OK, Rogue. Enough touching for today." Storm joked. "Let's get down to business and I myself just can't wait to know if I'm going to be an Auntie soon or not. Here are three different pregnancy tests for you to take. Three because, well, you won't be able to refute the results of three different ones! And in case, you're still not sure, Hank will gladly take your blood sample."

"Having my blood drawn? Needles? I guess we can just stick to these kits. They will prove you wrong anyway. Just because I don't remember when exactly my last period was it doesn't mean I'm pregnant. Just because I've been vomiting lately? Please, you guys cook terribly and don't want me to throw it up? Besides, I don't feel pregnant." She stressed the word feel a little too much.

"If all women felt pregnant, then there wouldn't be the need for pregnancy tests, miss smarty pants!" Storm handed her the test kits. "Read the instructions and do it now. We are here waiting. Have you peed today already?"

"What kind of question is that? In fact, I don't think I did! I was so excited about the present, that I forgot to do that."

"Excellent! That makes the results even clearer. You can just go and use the bathroom on the right."

"You mean now? With the three of you here waiting outside?"

"Yes, Rogue. Come on, we don't have all day. And also, we're all dying to know." Storm insisted.

Without saying a word, Dr. McCoy handed her a clean plastic container to collect the sample. She cringed a little.

"You guys! This is so embarrassing!" She muttered under her breath as she slowly dragged her feet towards the bathroom.

She did her thing and paced through the bathroom as she waited for the sticks to react to her urine sample. It didn't take long at all for the test to react to the hCG hormone present in her urine.

"Holy shit! I must be really, really fucking pregnant!" She said jokingly as she saw that all three tests had shown very strong blue lines. She felt as if she was having an out-of-body experience, watching someone else's life, not her own.

A few minutes later, she came out looking very pale. Her jaw was still dropped in surprise. There was a mix of feelings stamped on her face: denial and shock.

"So, you guys were right. I'm a bit pregnant!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – The Business Card

When a mission required discretion, Gambit was sure to be either involved in or leading it. This one had been no different.

Apparently, the apartment where Slab was staying was in a residential building, so, they had to be extra cautious as not to make a show of their entrance or put anyone's life in danger. As the helicopter they'd used to go downtown was impossibly screaming 'hey, we arrived!', they left it on top of a business building which was about ten minutes' walk to the apartment.

"Why didn't we just come by car, four eyes?"

"Oh, I just hate the traffic." Gambit rolled his eyes at Cyclops' reply.

"Ok, here's the deal." He spoke assertively. "I brought these little devices here that will break the code to the communal door. Remember, mon ami, we have to bust all the cameras on our way, preferably before we're even filmed. So just let me take care of detecting them and I might let you blow some of them for me."

"I don't like following orders, I am always the one who gives them."

"You make me miss Wolverine. He's going to be so pissed when he finds out Xavier left him babysitting the kids in the danger room when he could be involved in something a little more exciting."

"Really? Would you prefer the grumpy shortie instead of me? I refuse to believe it."

"Oh, would you stop whining? Be a good guy, and I'll buy you new glasses, right? 'Cause, Mon Dieu, these ones you got on sont très démodé."

"What? English, please!"

"They are very unfashionable!"

"No, they are not!" Scott replied quite offended.

"Cyclops, you will have to shut the fuck up when we get there. Why don't you start practicing it now?"

"Oh, for the love of God, you are so cranky lately. If it was Rogue here instead of me, you wouldn't be talking like that. "

"Sorry to hurt your feelings. I didn't know you had a crush on me." Cyclops shook his head and chuckled a little. "Do me a favor. Just don't speak to me, s'il vous plaît. I need to focus and God knows I've lost that ever since Savage Island."

"OK, then."

Gambit was precise in every single move he took, not one single step was taken without a purpose. No effort was a waste. That was the thief way. Not getting caught is a unique art he dominated. You had to be extremely cautious not to be spotted.

The concierge guy had not imposed any barrier either. He invented some story that was promptly accepted as true. So, as expected, they made their way smoothly until reaching the fifth floor.

While Gambit's feet hardly seemed to be touching the ground as he walked, Cyclops didn't share his friend's ability for the wrongdoing so he just kept stomping his feet as they made their way through the corridor.

"If I wanted to announce our arrival, I'd have asked the prof. to send Jubilee with us. I bet her fireworks would be a little more audible than your fucking heavy feet." He spoke in a very low barely-there voice.

"God damn it, Gambit. You are a pain! Why don't you just go and fuck someone so that you can just go back to normal? You've got your panties in a knot for far too long now."

"I did, it didn't work. But now it's not the time for some Dr. Phil session, let's go in now or what? The guy must be sleeping or not at home, 'cause otherwise, he'd already have heard us long ago! When you started stomping your freaking loud feet."

"Right, let's go in. How do we do it? Old fashioned flying foot through the door?"

"Come on, Cykes. I thought you knew me better." He sneered showing him a hair clip.

"Oh God, you watched too much MacGyver as a child, didn't you?"

Gambit simply grinned as he unlocked the door using the clip.

X X X X

Storm offered her a chair and Hank brought her a glass of water to calm her down. But really, she didn't need all that. She was calm, she felt calm.

The thing is the coin hadn't dropped in the slot, that is, she still hadn't registered what was happening. The concept of pregnancy, nine months, labor, then baby, a new family, all that, it was not there yet. Her mind was now like an old computer: too slow, the information was taking way too long to be processed. She remained in silence, in denial, hearing her own words echoing in her head.

'I'm pregnant. Pregnant? How come?' She thought.

She sat down and thought about it for a while. She looked like she was solving a very difficult mathematical problem: narrowed eyes, furrowed brows, one finger to her lips and her glance wouldn't fix steadily anywhere. At times she'd stare at the ceiling and narrow her eyes even more. No one dared to say a word until Professor Charles Xavier finally broke the silence.

"I'm so glad. This is such good news! I feel like a proud grandfather. We'll have a child among us. It will be brilliant!"

"Thank you, professor. You are the closest to a father figure I've had in my whole life."

"Wow, glad you bounced back into sanity. For a moment, I thought we'd lost you." Storm said, looking relieved.

"I was just thinking, there's no need to panic or anything. There's still what? At least six, seven months till I have to really worry about anything. I have plenty of time not to give it much thought. Just let things go."

"What are you talking about, Rogue? There's so much we have to do, like, having regular antenatal care which is important for your own and your baby's health. We can have an ultrasound scan soon to check everything is okay. Through the scan, we'll be able to work out how many weeks pregnant you are, and to estimate your due date. The length of your pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period, and as you said you don't remember it. And, of course, you have to tell Remy. The father has the right to see the first scan. I believe no dedicated father would miss it for anything in this world. It must be so touching the first time you actually see your baby, even if it's on a screen or hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time." Hank explained.

"Heartbeat? Oh my god! We are having a baby! Remy! He's the father of my baby!" She touched her stomach tenderly for the first time since she learned about her pregnancy. "This is mini-me and mini-him bundled together in one cute little baby!" It was as if she hadn't thought that a pregnancy involved a baby up until this moment.

She smiled widely. Seemingly realization was coming in small doses. She let out a loud sigh which made the others in the room exchange concerned looks.

"Oh, God!" She shouted. "My baby will be a mutant too! Both parents have the mutant gene! I don't want him or her to have my powers! Really, I don't mind his red eyes, but my powers, no!" She was becoming more and more agitated by the second.

"Mood swings." Henry said without further explanation as if any was needed anyway… She sighed softly now.

"It's just that I never thought I'd be a mother!" Her eyes became watery and she started sniffing.

"I'm sure you'll become a great one." Storm offered.

"It's the hormones. She just can't help it." Hank went on.

Storm and Charles just nodded in understanding.

"Oh My God! I love him! I love Gambit so much. He's my gorgeous Cajun boy. Where is he? I need to tell him about this. Right now! I don't care he's slept with someone else. I want him. I want him so bad. Oh, please, please, please, tell me, I can see him right now. I want to show him I can touch him too."

"He's slept with someone else?" Hank asked surprised. Storm just elbowed him to he would zip it.

"I'm afraid he's gone on a short mission, Rogue. I'm sorry about that, but he'll be back in no time, I promise." Professor Xavier told her patiently.

"Oh! Ok! Mmmm… Now, what if he doesn't want to be a father? He may even hate me for that! It's not like I'm giving him any choice. Yeah, at second thought, I reckon I don't want to tell him. Storm, would you tell him for me?"

"Dear, I think he'd rather hear it from you. But I can be there with you if you think you really need my support."

"Thank you, Storm."

"Now why don't you go and rest a bit, my dear?"

"One of the first signs of pregnancy is feeling tired. You should get plenty of rest. And that's the final word of your personal doctor!" Hank added with a smile.

"Right, I'll go and sleep this news off a bit. But first, I'll have to use the bathroom. Why again do they call it morning sickness? Since it started, it just seems to come at all times of the day…" And off she went, nagging all the way to the bathroom.

X X X X

It was an elegant contemporary furnished apartment that featured hardwood floors and high foot ceilings and was situated Midtown East. As the name implies, Midtown is smack in the middle of everything. Nobody is really sure where Midtown begins, but most agree it stops around Central Park. Publishing houses, financial firms, import/export companies, and fashion houses all do business there.

How on Earth did a guy like Slab get to afford to stay in a place like that was a mystery. One of the many they wanted to unveil in this visit. After lots of looking around, they concluded the apartment was empty. So much for nothing.

"Are you sure this is the place? It would be a pity to trash it down to find nothing worth the trouble."

"Yes, it is. I don't think Professor Xavier would send us here if he was less than sure."

"Ok, then. Let's take a look around and try to find something that could answer some of our questions."

After an extensive search of the place, they finally found something. They found some hotel receipts under the name of Christopher Anderson, Slab's real name. He'd been traveling around the States. Most probably doing some dirty work on Sinister's behalf.

"Where do these guys get the money to afford a place like this or all this traveling?" Cyclops asked Gambit.

"There are usually bigger guys backing them up. This is not one man's doing, Cykes. This involves the interests of so many people. You'd be amazed to know."

"What's with everyone? I just can't understand why people won't just let mutants be. All these megalomaniacs around the world that want power and control over the humans who happen to want to use us mutants in the process to achieve their goals."

"When you're good, it's difficult to understand how come evil is spread everywhere. Unfortunately, I know a little better than that. I've seen enough to be able to see what this world is all about." He spoke softly while going through some papers he'd just found hidden in the apartment's safe. All these posh places unfailingly had one, he knew that. Finding it and blowing it up with a card of his had been a piece of cake. Those safes were even offensive to his thieving skills so easy they were to be opened.

"Jackpot! I found it! Take a look at this." He said showing him a business card. Cyclops picked it up from his outstretched hand and examined it carefully.

" Brand Corporation – specialized in human genetics

Robert L., senior researcher." He read out loud. "I guess this is just what the professor wanted. You have just bought us the rest of the afternoon free, Gambit." Cyclops smiled broadly.

Gambit grinned at that and asked Cyclops: "What do you want to do then, Cykes?"

"In fact, I had something in mind. You're the first one I'm telling this, but I think you're a guy that can keep secrets. I'm thinking of proposing to Jean so, I thought we could go to Tiffany's to check out some rings. Due to your…. er… previous job, I think you're a guy with taste and knowledge of these things."

"Oh! I wasn't expecting that. But, sure, I can go and give you my expert advice. That's fantastic news, man. Congratulations on that!" He patted on his friend's back and smiled, but inside he was cringing at the thought. Certainly, it was not very noble of him, but he felt a pang of jealousy of Scott's happiness. Not that he wanted to get married or anything, but he'd like to have something like Scott had with Jean, and he wanted it with Rogue. He wanted to have it all with her. Was it that much to ask for?

'After this, I'll definitely have to go to the bar again. I'm too much of a coward to take the pain and not do anything about it.' He thought sadly.

X X X X

As soon as the phone started ringing, she picked it up. She knew he hadn't called her in a while, simply because she wouldn't pick up his calls lately. Even so, she hoped it could be him. Who knew? She hadn't felt she was pregnant, but maybe he could have some sixth sense and knew he was going to be a father. Silly her, it was just Storm.

"Rogue, I've just met Cyclops in the lounge. He told me Gambit was not coming home and that he went straight to the bar. But that's no problem because we are going there and we'll meet him."

"Really? Did he go to the bar? He must have gone there to meet the slut he fucked yesterday." Her voice was a bit angry.

"Will you keep talking about it this way? This afternoon you said that didn't matter and that you'd go and talk to him today. No matter what happens between the two of us, you're still having a baby together."

"I'm getting cold feet, Storm. What if he says he doesn't want the pregnancy? What if he doesn't like me anymore? What if this ride of his is super sexy? I'm going to be a walking watermelon soon and he may not find me attractive anymore."

"Seriously, Rogue. Are you on drugs or something? Where do these ideas come from?"

"I'm feeling a bit low right now. I just wanted him here with me. I want him to love the news. I don't want to go searching for him! I've treated him real bad, I know that. I can't expect him to forgive me that easily. But still, I'm afraid I'll go there and make a big fool of myself. And then, then, I'll want to cry in front of him. And I don't wanna him to see me cry..."

"Rogue, for the sake of my own sanity, I'll just ignore your whining. You were super happy like hours ago and now, you're all depressed. I know you're acting weirdly because you're being bombarded with lots of hormones, not to mention all the rollercoaster of emotions today. But, you know what? I don't care, honey. You're coming with me and that's it, no excuses. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."

"Do I really have to?"

"Yes, you do! See you in ten."

Fifteen minutes later, she met Storm. She was wearing a super cute flowy mini dress in a gorgeous green and red flowery design. Not exactly her usual style, but it suited her well. She was looking very girly and besides, with her silver choker, she could finally show off some flesh.

"I should have put on something sexier, shouldn't I? I mean, there's competition. I have to look my best. I guess I'm going upstairs to change again."

"No, it's great. Gimme a break! The guy loves you. For all I know, you could go wrapped in toilet paper and he would still think you look great!"

"Ororo, I'm not the only one acting strange, you're being a bit pushy, you know?"

"I do know, but someone's got to do this. Now let's get going."

On the way there, Rogue calmed down a little and seemed to be back to her regular self. Apparently, no hormones were messing with the girl's behavior. They parked just across from the bar the guys usually went to and left the vehicle, making their way to the entrance.

"Do you think he's really here?"

"We'll only know if we go in, won't we?" And with that Ororo opened the door, leading the way for the green-eyed young woman to follow her. The place was not that big, so it was kind of easy for them to spot him sitting with his back turned to them. Across from him sat a stunning brunette. She was smiling at him, desire could be seen through her eyes. Her whole body language screamed thirst for sex.

Watching that scene didn't put Rogue in a very comfortable position nor it made her thrilled either, of course. She shuddered at the thought of those two together in bed. But she wouldn't back down and run through the door like she wanted to, so she made an extra effort to push the thought away from her mind.

She folded her arms across her chest, chewing the inside of her cheek, and glared at the door. No, she wouldn't run away, she thought. Sudden determination took over her body. No, sir. She wasn't going to get that easily intimidated.

'That boy is mine.' She thought and took a deep breath. "Don't you worry about me, Ororo. I'm fine. I'm not freaking out because of that woman. I'll just go and get my man back to me. If he's really into her, well, at least, there will be the satisfaction of knowing he actually listens to what I tell him to do."

"You go, girl! That's my friend Rogue I love and admire!"

Rogue blinked at her friend in reply and strutted her way to their table. The woman noticed her straight away. She looked uncomfortable at her approximation. When Rogue reached the table, she stopped and looked down at them with an evil smile across her face. She shifted her weight and rested her hands on her hips.

"Rogue!" he babbled in surprise. He almost fell off his chair, and with wide-open eyes, he stared at her legs and arms. Why would she be flashing out so much flesh? Did she want to go and kill someone? He felt adrenaline rushing through his veins. She'd probably have figured out he was flirting with that woman. What was she doing there at that time of the day? Did someone tell her about his escapade and now she decided she didn't like it that he was trying to move on? He wondered how he could possibly get out of this one in one piece.

"Hey, sugar. I saw you here and thought I'd come and say hello." She eyed her competition briefly and turned her attention to him once again. 'Keep your cool. You can do it.' She thought. "So won't you introduce me to your friend?" She challenged him. He was so busted. His stomach flipped and his heart rate went soaring high.

The brunette woman's eyebrows were pulled together. She eyed Remy with renewed eyes, as she had just seen the devil himself.

"Rogue? Is that your name?"

"Yeah, why?"

The woman stood up and without a word, she slapped him square across the face.

"You fucking bastard! So Rogue is a girl, huh? I'm no one's rebound lover!" She turned to Rogue and with a totally different tone of voice, she calmly said: "Dear, I'm sorry for this little public display of affection but I simply had to. I hope you two reconcile, really. You are a very lucky girl! Just don't let him on the loose. We both know that this guy is irresistible."

"Huh? Well, thanks!" she muttered in reply as she watched the woman storm out of the place. Storm waved at her from the counter and mouthed 'What's up?' Rogue simply shrugged her shoulders and made a face. Gambit looked confused.

"So Chére, tell me, what was that all about?"

"You tell me, loverboy."

"You know exactly what this was. I was following your commands, trying to find another you, but that's not quite an easy task, is it? Now Gambit is just happy to see you here. What's this dress, huh? Where are the gloves? Is there something you want to tell me?" As if replying to his question, she stretched out her hands and softly caressed his perfectly chiseled face. He didn't recoil from her touch, if she wanted, she might as well kill him, but he'd never back away from her. To his surprise though, he didn't feel her pull of energy as in the last time they'd touched.

"We have to talk, sugar."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Sugar, Don't Preach

There was this state of suspended horror in the air that seemed to end and to last an eternity at the same time. Remy could swear he'd just heard his heart accelerating. He felt his palms getting sweaty with an echo of panic as he followed her around.

'We. Have. To. Talk.' Something about those words put together drove him over the edge.

Even though the prospects looked good – she had just touched him with no painful outcome for crying out loud, something about those four teeny tiny words put together voiced by a woman just didn't seem right. He wondered if women realized how they made a man feel as they were saying those words. Because if they did, then they were such bitches. If they just said it with that very concerned look on their faces, only to be thinking inside their heads 'Ha! Loser!', then they were capable of just about anything.

Was she planning some bittersweet revenge? She couldn't possibly be taking the fact that she'd just seen him flirting with another woman that easily, could she?

'Or maybe she's just going to give me an earful. Yeah, that's probably it. Women like to punish men by nagging for hours. All I have to do is listen to her resignedly, show my repentance and regret for doing what I did, then, that's it. We'll kiss and make up in bed! Sounds good to me.' He sneered at his own wishful thinking.

That was Rogue, and he knew Rogue. She was more of a cold war kind of woman. She'd silence and retreat, give him the cold shoulder treatment. Yeah, that was more like his Rogue.

He could see she was now talking to Storm as he was standing just a meter or so behind her. Apparently, they were making some arrangements as to how to go back home. But he really couldn't tell for he was not paying any attention at all to what they were saying. What he did know, however, was how good she looked from behind.

'Mon Dieu, I love this woman! I need this woman! Oh, that backside of hers! She drives me insane! I could just rip this little dress right now and…' His agonizing thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her voice directed to him. 'Oh merde! Now I'll have to pay attention and stop perving.'

"Hey sugar, so, let's get going. I got the car keys. Ororo will just fly home." She whispered that last sentence. Nobody needed to know the white-haired woman flew. "She's having a good time flirting with the barman. Good for her, isn't it?" She smiled. It was so inviting, so appealing to him. Her happiness flooded his heart with warmth and his body with yearning desire.

"Oui, chér. But why again do we have to talk at home? We could have some drinks here, start having this talk of yours, and then we could finish it off at home. What do you say?"

"I need to talk to you in private. I want absolute privacy. This is very important, Remy!"

'Ok, that's great. That will make me more relaxed about this 'we have to talk' thing.' He thought.'Does she have like a week left to live or something? What the fuck could this be? What is so important and requires privacy?' He wrecked his brain trying to guess what was about to come, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.

Driving home, they didn't say much to each other. He could feel she was tense.

'What on Earth can I expect out of this conversation?' He sighed deeply from time to time. He noticed that his doing so was making her even more fidgety. 'Is she afraid of this as well or is it just me?'

She sat rigidly there by his side on the passenger's seat. It was as if she was saving all her energy for some confrontation that was about to come. While parking the car, he glanced at her warily. She had her eyes closed, her jaw was strained and fists clenched.

"Voilá, petite. Here we are!" He said in a cheerful voice, trying to lift up her mood. She gave him a curt smile only.

Out of the car, he waited for her to come around and offered his hand to her. She grabbed it and came closer to him. After a few steps through the large tiled courtyard that leads to the main entrance, he stopped walking and pulled her tight against his perfectly toned chest. After kissing her forehead, he tucked her head under his chin.

"What is it, petite, huh? What is troubling you? You can tell Remy. If this is about that femme there, I'm sorry, so really sorry. I was feeling down and self-destructive, you know? I wanted to try and forget you for the night at least as you told me to. Easier said than done, chére."

"It's not that. Ok, it's also that. I won't lie that hasn't affected me, it has, but…" she hesitated for a while. "We really have to talk."

Fuck! Now she added 'really' to the magic sentence. How much more tension was she going to bring about? What could be worse than saying they had to talk?

'OK, I just have to get this over with. Just jump at once in the cold water.' He thought. "So let's talk, ma belle. I'm curious to know what it is that you have to tell me. I hope it's something nice." He said tentatively.

She sighed deeply while setting free from his embrace. She looked at him pensively for what seemed to be years as if contemplating possibilities before finally answering.

"Ok, sugar."

They decided that for maximum privacy in the Institute the only place where their conversation could take place had to be in either one of their rooms. As his room still haunted her with memories of the previous night, they went to her room. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, they faced each other. She wanted to make sure she was looking straight into his eyes at all times during this most important conversation to read his feelings and reactions towards her words.

"OK, Remy, this is how it's going to work. I have three major things to tell you and they have to be told in an exact sequence so that you won't think that I'm doing all this just because of the thing number three. Thing number three is the most important, but I just guess you'll just have to wait patiently until I go through things number one and two. I'm not sure I have worked out how to tell you any of the things, but I'll give it my best shot. It has to be done." Rogue said, she took a deep breath and then closed her eyes in concentration for a second.

Gambit had a huge interrogation mark stamped on his forehead. Noticing he looked puzzled, she went on.

"You just listen, OK? That's all you have to do. And, by the way, not staring at my breasts would help too."

'Mon Dieu, am I crazy, or do they look bigger? Damn it! She noticed I was looking. OK, guess things are pretty serious. I have to focus on the message. But how am I supposed to do that? Sitting here, knowing I can touch the woman I love, and not doing anything about it is simply not a reasonable option. Better do something otherwise I know I won't listen.' And with that, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was not a hungry kiss but a gentle, lingering touch of the lips with hesitation on both parts as they touched as if both were taking the time to memorize the feeling before they parted.

She opened her eyes as the space between them widened once again. She loved him, he knew it. He could tell it from her kiss, the way she breathed after kissing him, faintly and slowly, taken by emotion. Now he could do it, he would listen to her and wouldn't be afraid of what she had to say to him. He felt like telling her he loved her once again, but that could sound like he was coercing her to do the same.

"Chére, I'm here for you. Just tell me whatever it is that is troubling you, that you feel you have to tell me."

"Ok." She cleared the lump on her throat. "Hmmm… well, first things first. Last night, I spent the night with the girls and I finally opened up to them about us and my feelings for you. And with that talk, I realized how I'd been unfair with you. I never gave you a chance to tell me if you were ok with moving on. I never asked if you wanted that at all, really. I believed so strongly I knew what was best for you that I never even thought of giving you a say on all that. I kind of took the decision for both of us. And I think, I think you're my friend above all things, and that I should have talked to you, instead of just avoiding you." She spoke slowly and stared at his eyes all the while, scanning them for his feelings. For now, he seemed to be taking it all in. He was being a good boy by giving her all his attention.

"Je sais, chér. I agree with that. It hurt me so bad that you never explained what you were doing to me. you just pushed me aside, I was thrown away like a worn-out shoe. That bothered me so much. You have no idea! I needed you so much and you turned your back on me. Mon petite, la chose que j'aime le plus, hurt this Cajun here real bad."

"Yeah, but then you hurt me worse yesterday!" She said with a trembling voice. Then, she paused, breathing slowly she trained to regain focus. 'No accusations. That won't help.' She rephrased it. "I mean, yesterday, I waited for you to get home. In fact, I did it just like I do it most nights."

"You do?"

"Yeah, sugar. I worry about you. You were coming home drunk lately." She lowered her gaze for the first time. She was the reason why he had to drink because she knew very well she was the source of the pain. He had just said it himself a second earlier. She looked at him again before going on. "I wanted to talk to you straight away. Ask you if you wanted to give us a try or if you agreed with my earlier idea, that being apart was the best thing to do. I didn't want to go on pretending not to have feelings and being apart, we could be friends at least, I don't know."

"And what do you think my answer would be?" he demanded.

"Against all odds, I was kind of hoping for the first option."

"You knew it would be that one I'd be choosing. You played your game on me and it just didn't work out. I can't stand being away from you. Only a miracle would bring me back to life after you, petite." Those words blew her heart away. There was no turning back. That was it, they would be together, for life because she loved that rascal, even his flaws. Unless he changed his mind after truth number three. He continued. "So what else? Is this your thing number one?"

"There's more, but I don't even know if I should mention it."

"What is it, petite? Above all the things we mean for each other, we are friends first. You can tell me anything. Why is it that you are so reluctant?"

"Oh, Remy. We are in such deep deep trouble! But I'll get there." She let out a slow controlled breath.

"Ma belle, if we stick together, there's nothing that can trouble us, don't you see?" He flashed his lopsided smile. For a second, he contemplated the possibility of throwing himself over her and making love to her. But he pushed his impulsive self to the back of his mind, the girl said she needed to say something important, the least he could do was listen to all of it.

"OK, I'll go on and tell you it all as it comes to my mind. I'm not going to choose words, then. So, that night, I was going to knock in your room when I heard you with someone else, having sex." His expression became instantly pained. "It broke my heart. It was the worst. At that moment, I was so sure you lied to me, that you didn't love me at all and never had. For me, our sex, our love had been so special, and now you were just fucking someone else. I felt like I was just another in your belt."

"C'est pas vrai, chér. Je t'aime! I love you very much indeed. What we had was very special to me too. You know that, don't you? You saw it in my mind when you absorbed me. I'm sure you must have seen it because you are all I think about. I know it is not an excuse, but random sex was usually my way of coping with stuff. Last night was the first time I used sex to cope with heartache."

"I know, sugar. As weird as it may seem, I do understand you. Moreover, I know I'm the one who pushed you to that point. I told you to forget about us and find someone else."

"No, don't blame yourself. Blame me and my bad habits, chére. That's how I've always dealt with my problems. Them ladies inflate my ego. I treat them right and in return, they will tell me everything I want to hear, things that I don't believe myself, like how great I look or what a man I am. That's all bullshit, I know. They are just dazzled by the pleasure I can give them, but still, it has always made me feel better."

He paused for a second, his head hanging low. He had his heart in his mouth as he braced himself for her reactions to his words.

"But, for you, I was holding back my instinct, I avoided sex for a while, you know. Nothing would ever be the same after what we had, I knew it. I just fooled around, made out, kissed some girls, these things were like painkillers to me, belle. But yesterday, in the corridor, you'd been so mean to me. I mean, you admitted that you were doing that to me on purpose. And then, later that day, I saw Scott all happy about Jean. I went to Tiffany's with him to pick a ring for her, do you believe it? I felt so bad that the one person that maybe one day would make me contemplate that possibility – again, but of his own will, he thought. He was glad that she never mentioned seeing that memory of his - would never be mine."

The revelation about Scott and Jean made her gasp.

"Oh my god! He's gonna propose? That's huge!"

"Oui, je sais. But don't tell her about it."

"Of course, I won't! So, about that other woman, never mind. Let's just never mention it anymore. I know my love is big enough to make me forget that."

"You said love, chére?" The hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She blushed delicately.

"I did. I love you, Remy. You're everything I need and more."

In the blink of an eye, his arms were around her and his lips brushing her ears softly as he spoke.

"I love you too, chér. More than my own life."

His lips made their way down her neck, nibbling at the right spots that would make her moan lightly. The choker was right there n the middle of things at that point. He ran his fingers through the back of her neck as he tried to find a way to open it.

"No, Remy! No! Stop!" she shouted. He jumped at her plea, a bit startled.

'What have I possibly done wrong now?' He asked himself inside his head.

"You see, this is thing number two I had to talk to you about."

"Mon Dieu, chér. You're gonna kill me this way."

She then proceeded to explain everything about the power negating collar and how they should thank Hank eternally for that, for giving them a shot at happiness.

"Oh, so then this is how you did it. I mean, how you gained control of your powers. C'est genial! When we have a baby boy someday, we should name him Henry to pay him homage." He said with a smile spread on his face.

"Are you talking serious, sugar? So then we'll have to name this one, Nathaniel. That's Mr. Sinister's name, isn't it? If it weren't for his experiments, turning off our powers in the Savage Island, we wouldn't have made this baby." The words escaped her lips before she could stop them.

"Why on Earth would you say that? I hate that man almost as much as I love you." He said without realizing in time what she'd just revealed. "Wait! What are you trying to tell me here? This one? This baby? Are you? Am I going to? Mon Dieu!" He gasped. It finally had dawned upon him that he was going to be a father.

"I'm pregnant, Remy. I'm sorry if you didn't want that. But I…"

"You're sorry? Are you crazy?" His lips came down on her and she could swear that was their sweetest kiss. Not too deep, but she could feel the passion rising as his hands sensuously caressed her back. When they parted, he looked at her with admiration shining through his eyes.

Like a fool in love, he just couldn't stop smiling. It was unbelievable! It had to be the best dream ever. It couldn't possibly be true that the woman he loved was expecting his child. He never thought he was worthy of being anyone's father, but the news had made him so ecstatically happy, he wouldn't question for a second his worthiness. He loved her as he did love their unborn child already, they could do it. They would be parents to a child.

"How do you feel about it, sugar? Say something? I'm not sure what the kiss meant. I mean, you seem happy about it." She smiled. Relief stamped in her face.

"Happy wouldn't be quite good a word to describe it. I'm over the moon, chére! Being a father was not on the top ten list of things I wanted to do anytime soon, I have to admit. I didn't give it any thought, I never thought about it. But now that I know we are pregnant, I don't know, it sounds so right. Chére, you are my life now, so I think that entitles you to know a little more about me than the others. Being born with these red pupils on black eyes, I was abandoned at birth. I was stolen by the New Orleans chapter of the Thieves Guild, one of several guilds that traced their ancestry back to a mythical, old kingdom, predating known history. Jean-Luc LeBeau, the patriarch of the New Orleans Thief Guild, became my adoptive father. But surely he didn't take me in just out of a good heart. No way, petite. He freed me so that he could place me with Fagan's mob instead, they're a group of child thieves led by this Fagan guy. So I grew up to be a pickpocket."

She heard him speak with eyes glittering with tears about to roll down her face. He caressed her face tenderly and went on.

"I am glad about our baby, however, as I know that he or she will never be rejected like I was and won't have to become what I have become. So I'm happy we're doing this, I know our lives may change, but, you know what? I want to be there for you two always. I'll welcome our child into this world with open arms. I'll make sure my son or daughter has a very different childhood from mine. This child will be loved and cherished." Silent tears ran through his pretty face as he caressed her belly slowly. She reached out and took his hands in hers.

"Oh, Remy. I'm sorry to hear that about your childhood. I'm glad I didn't have the time to see all these memories popping up in my head. You know what, sugar, my childhood was not that brilliant either. And then, there was Mystique! I was also used by my adoptive mother, you know."

"Our child will never have to go through any of this, this is I promise you." He said with a smile. She responded by squeezing his hands. "And if you agree to that, I want us to stick with the X Men. Only this way I could set a good example for this baby you have growing inside of you. I want to grow up to be someone my child will be proud of calling 'father'."

"There's nothing that could make me happier. Besides, you don't know how they got thrilled at the news!"

"What? Hey, did everybody get to know about it before me?" He frowned jokingly and grinned.

"No, only Storm, Beast, and the Professor. They helped me with the diagnosis, you know."

"Oh, OK. Were they happy?"

"Sugar, you had to see their faces. The professor even said he felt like a grandfather to our child." Both of them smiled widely. They were both beaming with happiness, an enormous sense of relief washed over the two lovers.

"So are we done with the big talk?" The way his lips lifted upwards as he asked her had her heart hammering against her chest for joy and excitement.

"Well, in fact, there's one more thing. But it's not something I have to tell, it's a question." She lowered her gaze for a while as to trying to gain the confidence to ask him what she'd meant to ask him since the night before. She had to almost hold her lips in place to stop herself from grinning so widely.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" She asked him as she felt her insides twist and turn with sudden fear.

"Non." He replied quickly and could instantly see her panicked expression, but he didn't let her in suspense for more than two seconds. "Non, I don't want to be your petit ami. I don't know why you ask me this when you already know I am your man. I'm yours, ma princess. I hope now I can call you ma femme too."

The mood in the room suddenly changed. She looked at his lips and pursed hers.

'Oh God! Isn't he just gorgeous? How could I resist this devil for so long? I deserve an award!' She thought.

They laid down, his hand was her pillow. He caressed her hair as they talked without words. He turned his face towards hers, and they kissed again, this time letting loose their passion. Unbuttoning his shirt, she trailed kisses from the base of his neck, nibbled his nipple, getting a sexy moan out of him, and continued to his stomach. His hands were trembling, his breathing got labored as he helped her unhook the zipper and undress him. She worked her magic, as he moaned deep in his throat.

Just when he thought he couldn't handle it anymore, he rolled over and had her lay on her back. Holding her dress at the hem, he pulled it over her head and freed her from all other garments in a hurry. He couldn't help gasping at the sight of her naked body. His hands were like fire, everywhere he touched got her burning up for him. His lips on her breasts caused an unworldly explosion of sensations.

Besides, there was something she may not know about herself, but he, as a guy who had heaven knows how many women, realized from the very first time they touched, she was ultra-sensitive to touch. The deprivation of physical contact for so long had made her perception of touch much more intense than in other women. As a result, she felt so much more than any other woman, her non-stop moans of pleasure told him so. From what she had innocently described to him, she reached multiple orgasms easily. That was his lady, a lioness in bed, a femme fatale in all her ingenuity.

He slid into her, gently. Feeling the entire length of him in her, she screamed in pleasure. Together, they rode into ecstasy. And when they reached that special place in heaven, it was like letting flood gates open. The calming effect came crushing them and, very soon, they fell asleep in each other's arms. They repeated that same routine many times over until it was actually bedtime.

X X X X

The following morning, there was a meeting scheduled for ten o'clock. Her alarm clock was already set for eight-thirty. However, the device didn't get to play its role, as she awoke early and went to the bathroom repeated times, feeling sick. He finally awoke when she got up for the third time. After that, they showered together, got dressed, and went down for breakfast. Colossus and Kitty were the only ones still there. They wouldn't stop talking in whispers and giggles.

"It seems that we are no longer the new couple on the block, huh?"

"What, chére?" He was immersed in thoughts.

"Those two, they won't stop giggling. I think they have a thing for each other. But I guess he's a bit too old for her, sugar. He's nineteen and the girl is only fourteen."

"Oh, let the kids have their fun. They have theirs, we have ours. Besides, I'm almost four years older than you. It didn't stop us, did it?"

She remained in silence digesting his words.

'Mmm curious, I'd never given that much thought. I'm twenty-four and he'll be twenty-eight soon. Oh, but it's so different when you're only fourteen! She's underage!'

An hour later, they headed to the meeting room. Everyone was there and also Magneto joined them for that session. He wanted to say a few words as he was leaving that same day. As she took her seat, Rogue could feel Magneto's heavy stare and it disturbed her. She eyed him briefly and catching her eye, he sneered.

'What a freak! I don't like nor trust this guy.' She thought. Turning her attention to Gambit, she saw happiness in his eyes which made her forget the uneasiness Magneto had caused.

Without giving her an insight into what he was planning, Gambit stood up and spoke solemnly. She frowned at that and looked surprised, just like the rest of the people in the room.

"Good morning, X-Men, and Professor Xavier. I am very glad we have news for you." His friends all had a huge smile on their faces and looked at him expectantly. "Rogue and I, we are going to be proud parents soon. She's expecting my child and we couldn't be any happier."

After being showered with congratulatory words, he narrowed his eyes and asked.

"And you, you are all crappy liars. You all knew it, didn't you?" As no one defended themselves vehemently, he took that as a 'yes, they knew it.'

"Sugar, as I said before, I only told Storm, Beast, and the professor."

"I only told Jean!" Storm said.

"I only told Scott." Jean replied in a low voice.

"I only told Wolverine."

"Huh? Don't look at me! I only told Jubilee." Logan mumbled grumpily.

"Oh, and that's like putting it in the paper, isn't it, sugar?"

"Ha! I'm not a big mouth, 'cause I did it as bad as the rest of you, I only told Kitty and I know she then told Colossus."

"Charles told me." Magneto joined in.

"Even you, Professor!" Rogue protested.

"In my defense, I was so happy about it that I had to tell someone." Charles Xavier replied shyly.

"That is great! Now everybody knows. My poor man didn't even get the chance to break the news. Oh, and thanks Beast for being the only one able to keep a secret."They all shared a laugh at that.

As their friends started standing up to give them a hug and their congratulations, she forgot all about being upset. About ten minutes later, Charles Xavier finally broke up the party the meeting had become.

"Well, my dear X-Men, now I think it's time to settle down so we can talk about other eminent issues we have to deal with."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Magneto Leaves

In the meeting room, Xavier explained that he had a couple of missions for his X-Men but would only give out the details after Magneto's farewell speech.

Obviously, he wouldn't disclose such important information in the presence of his ever power-hungry friend, Magneto. As much as they had been truly close friends in the past, there could never be trust in their love-hate relationship for their views on mutant-human relations would always remain incompatible.

"First of all, I'd like to thank my friend, Charles Xavier for offering me his helping hand once again. Also, Dr. McCoy, all your help and attention we're very much appreciated. I know I'm not well-loved by all here present, however, I believe I have earned it since we have not shared the same side of the battlefield lately. As you all must know, I still believe that we, mutants, are the next step of evolution and should, therefore, be the rulers of this world. Instead of living with the fear of being rejected by humans, we should be the ones who rejected those fragile pathetic creatures. But for us to achieve that, we have to unite and grow stronger. For this reason, I would like to congratulate Gambit and Rogue on their child. Such a child, being conceived by such powerful mutant parents, is the key to the future. It will obviously have mighty powers that we can't even imagine."

"Hey, hold on a sec there, sugar. I don't like where this is going. My baby is just a bunch of cells and you are already thinking of powers?" Rogue interrupted.

"Well, yes, my dear. You cannot ignore that your baby could be the future most powerful mutant, maybe even more powerful than me and Charles. You have the amazing powers everyone here knows well and as for Gambit, he's strong now, and I heard through the grapevine that he had his powers tampered with so he wouldn't blow up entire neighborhoods. Just imagine that!" Magneto calmly replied.

"You! Don't you talk about my child like that! That's none of your business." Gambit shouted.

"Oh, you foolish X-Men. You don't let me resume my message before jumping to conclusions. I am about to offer you, all of you, a special role in my next endeavor. Forget about the Savage Land, that has been a mistake. I am planning to create a new place for mutants only. But not some jungle, it is going to be a real city or a mini planet, I'd say. It will be called Asteroid M. In such a place you will never have to fear human silly bigotry ever again or feel like a cast out. For you should know that even an everyman with a kind heart becomes a rabid beast at the sight of that which he does not understand. It's simply human nature."

"And you'd like us to go and join you just like that, is it, pal?" Wolverine said.

"This guy definitely has some nerve to come here and say…" Scott said only to be interrupted by Professor Xavier.

"My X-men, Magneto had spoken to me and asked my permission to talk about his plans. You know very well that I'm not a dictator, so, I think that you deserve to be informed and make your own choices. Needless to say, I don't share with him the same enthusiasm for mutant isolation as a way to achieve a good quality of life, but everyone has the right to express their views as well as reach their decisions by themselves. I would never force anyone to stay if they considered this might actually be what they want."

"I only want you to consider my offer. And the young expectant couple, think about it, your child would never have to be bullied or mistreated for being a mutant. Surely everyone here in this room has been given some hard time in life one way or another simply for being superior to others. And besides, who knows what this world will look like when your child is your age. The chaos, the madness, the horrors..."

At those words, Rogue and Gambit stared guardedly at each other for a moment. Without ever saying a word, they knew what the other felt. As appealing as the promise of a quiet, peaceful life with their child seemed to be, they wouldn't be leaving the X-Men.

"Magneto, thanks but no, thanks." Rogue said firmly.

"You know what we do about the future of the next generation? We fight for it! We fight for what we believe, we don't hide." Gambit said.

"Gambit, you make me proud." Professor Xavier spoke condescendingly.

"My intention was only to make you all aware of the alternative I'm giving to fellow mutants." Magneto explained.

"Right. Point taken. Can we move on now?" Wolverine asked impatiently.

"Fellow mutants whose powers sound interesting to you and your so-called cause, you mean." Cyclops pointed out.

"Adding to what Cyclops has just said, are you perhaps implying that would be the solution to all problems currently faced by mutants? You can't possibly be that naive." Hank asked.

"Friends, our moment in history has arrived! We all have felt the sting of human hatred, seen the disgust smolder in their eyes. We have hidden, like beaten animals anxious for a crumb from a master! We have lived too long in darkness and fear! No more! Nature has made us superior! We are the living future of this mighty planet, this world is our world now, take it! It has begun!" [1]

"Magneto, we appreciate your kind offer but that's enough now. I think you made your point clear. What you have to do now is to leave it for them to decide if they would like to join you. You cannot force people to agree with you. And that's where we've always had disagreements." Charles Xavier said.

"I think we are being filmed right now for a reality TV show. Such a generous offer. Where's the catch, bub?" Wolverine asked.

"Magnus, I can't stand it how you insist on imposing your ideals." Charles added.

"I don't want to do this, rather I have to. I must be strong because you and your X-Men are too weak to do that which must be done! For no matter what happens to you and me, the welfare of the children is paramount. Whether they be the innocent, like Rogue's baby, the lost, like my own children, or the misguided like the fools you count among the X-Men; they need to be protected! They need to be awakened from the dream in which you've lulled them! Whether you admit it or not, they need...MAGNETO!" [2]

"Not today, Magneto. Why don't you just get your shit and leave? We promise we'll consider your offer…" Wolverine said. "NOT!" He looked at Jubilee and winked. The girl rolled her eyes with all her might

"I told him already! That's not funny anymore!" She whispered to the other two teenagers.

Suddenly, the alarm siren goes off. There was someone trespassing the property, except that, that someone was not supposed to be an intruder as they were expected by Charles Xavier and Magneto.

But being Magneto's children had to have quite an impact on their character, therefore, they couldn't help but make a show of their entrance and blast the front gate open. No, sir, they wouldn't simply go and knock the door, as one would expect them to.

Wolverine, eager for some action, left the room to 'welcome' the newly arrived guests. Fearing the possibility of an unnecessary confrontation, Cyclops stood up and followed him out of the room.

"I'll make sure he doesn't flip out." He said as he followed Logan out of the room.

Pietro, also known as Quicksilver, and Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, are Magneto's twin children and they had come to meet and pick up their father for he finally contacted them after spending a little over a month in the X-Mansion. The truth is he wanted their help in another task before dedicating all his efforts to the construction of his asteroid M.

Conveniently for Magneto, both of his children are mutants. Pietro possesses superhuman speed, while Wanda can control probability. She can tap into mystic energy for reality-altering effects; which was formerly limited to the creation of hex-spheres of reality-disrupting force to cause molecular disturbances in a target's probability field, resulting in spontaneous combustion, deflection of objects in flight, and so on.

Because of their abilities, from time to time, Magneto contacted them if he thought their powers could help him somehow in achieving his goals. It had been no different this time.

Revenge is what he sought. Before anything else, he had to make Sinister pay for what he'd done to him and, consequently, for how much he'd delayed his Asteroid M project.

"Well, I think it's my cue to go now. But there's one more thing I wanted to say to you."

"Oh, there's more?" Looking extremely bored, Jean whined.

"It's about Sinister. He has to be hunt down and pay for what he did to us all, don't you think?"

As everyone remained silent and looking very unimpressed with the suggestion, he went on.

"I'm planning on attacking him as soon as I possibly can. Would any of you be interested in joining me?"

"Magneto, you should know by now that the X-Men don't take revenge." Storm said.

"Well, I just thought that some of you had it in you." The master of magnetism said looking at Wolverine and Gambit with the faint hint of a lopsided grin across his face. Gambit just stared back at him. His eyes were cold, completely void of any emotion.

"So, I guess I think that's about all I had to say to you. Thank you all again for your hospitality. Charles, I'll go now before my children hurt yours."

Quicksilver had been deliberately checking Rogue out from a distance, a malicious smirk stamped across his face, while Remy LeBeau looked cross at him as he took a card from his pocket menacingly.

Charles simply waved his lifetime friend a shy goodbye. Magneto put on his helmet and left the room. His children followed him promptly. Quicksilver's eyes still lingered on Rogue as he made his way out, giving her the creeps.

"Well, I guess now we can begin our meeting." Charles Xavier said solemnly.

"Professor, do you have a mission for us?" Rogue asked, trying to shake off the memory of Pietro starting at her.

"I have indeed, Rogue."

"Will I be a part of it?" She asked eagerly.

"Well, because of the pregnancy, and after being advised by McCoy, I don't consider it wise to have you in it with the rest of us."

"I imagined that." She whimpered.

"I too will be happier if you stay, chér."

"Mmm… in that case, I'm leaving."

"Are you feeling well?" Noticing her friend looked rather upset, Storm asked.

"Yes, it's just that there's no point in staying if I'm not going."

"You could always help us with strategies and your battle insight, Rogue. But if you don't wish to stay, that's no problem." Scott tried to be sympathetic to her decision.

"Thanks, guys. I'll talk to you later."

Looking a bit concerned, Gambit reached out for her hands and gave a sweet kiss on her knuckles. She smiled, then stood up and exited the room.

X X X X

Having left the meeting room, Rogue headed to the library. The outsized mahogany bookcase that filled a good portion of the room stood out. Behind its ornate glass front reposed row upon row of leather-bound masterpieces of world culture.

On the wall directly opposite, hung various awards given out to Professor Charles Xavier for both his achievements in science and his numerous efforts on the mutant cause. In the between, there were two large comfortable sofas facing each other and some armchairs which were positioned randomly throughout the room to give the visitors of such place some peace and privacy as they read.

Rogue took a slow tour around the room. Stopping in front of a bookcase, she ran her eyes through the different titles. She wanted to read a classic. After some minutes of careful consideration, she picks up Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

"Mmmm… the title sounds appealing… and opportune." she thought.

Ironically though, the book was not quite what she was expecting, and after some twenty minutes into reading it, she dozed off on the sofa.

Her mind was temporarily free of her consciousness and yes, as Charles Xavier warned her, there would be lots of visions and other people's memories afflicting her whenever that happened. She'd recently made some progress controlling the alien memories to flood her mind while she was awake. However, when sleeping, she was still as vulnerable to them as ever.

First, she saw herself living in San Francisco. Not her, of course, she was seeing the memory as if she were Ms. Marvel herself. Then, along came a memory of a fight against the X-Men. Those annoying mutants! She was now this very large person, who would break things as she moved about.

In this same memory, she was harassing humans who had previously called her a freak.

After that one, she was in a sort of an altar, a blond woman coming towards her. She didn't feel that excited to be getting married. Looking around, she saw a man who she considered to be her father. He was the one imposing that marriage on her. She hated him for that.

Back to Ms. Marvel again, a vision of a night of sex with some guy named Marcus. Oh, no, not again!

She woke up. Taking in a ridiculous amount of air, she breathed quickly as she looked around the room. She was still alone, all those images; they were other people's memories. She calmed down and her breathing gradually went back to normal.

At that very same moment, Gambit entered the library. He came in and sat by her side.

"Oh, there you are, petite! I've been looking for you." He gave her a peck.

"Yep, here I am, sugar. So how did it go?" She asked him, feeling still rather drowsy.

"We have two different missions that will most probably take place in three days' time. We'll be in different teams. Cyclops will go to the Savage Land to check if Sinister is still there. And I'll be in charge of the other team that goes inside the Brand Corporation as I'm the guy who knows exactly how to make a quiet entrance.

"The downside of this is that I'll have to go and train hard with the others in the danger room for God knows how long when all I wanted was to spend all my time with you." His sexy grin was replied with a quick smile.

"Will you come and watch us train in the control room?"

"No, I don't feel like it."

She didn't look very thrilled about not taking part in the mission, he noticed. He tenderly caught one lock of her white hair and placed it behind her ear and then kissed her cheek lovingly.

"Are you upset because you're not coming with us this time, ma belle?"

"I was at first, but I know you guys are right. To make matters worse, our baby seems to have become the hottest commodity around. I should really stay here." She shrugged.

"How do you feel about that? About what Magneto said, I mean."

"I'd be lying if I told you I'm not afraid of what the future holds. There are all these specialists predicting doom because of all this mutant issue, registration acts, and stuff. Sometimes it gets hard to believe everything is going to be ok. Sometimes it feels like we are rowing against the tide, you know, sugar? What if Magneto's right?"

"I know what you mean, chér. It does make a person wonder. But we have to keep on believing and fighting. What about our baby possibly being the most powerful mutant? Did you believe any of that?"

"Well, these guys, they know what they are talking about, right? I mean with all their study on genetics and stuff. But I just wanted not to have to think about all that. We found out about the pregnancy just two days ago and people are already speculating about our child. This is crazy! It makes me upset, you know?"

"Don't worry, chére. Let's not allow ourselves to stress over these theories. Let's just live this wonderful moment of our lives, here, avec nos amis. What do you say?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way. Besides, they are more than friends, they're our family. I wouldn't want to have my baby around any other people but them, the X-Men. It's just that we all falter sometimes… I just want to be sure my baby will be born and grow up happily with us."

"I won't let anyone come near you or cause you any harm. This is I promise you, mon ange. By the way, Hank has told me, after the meeting ended, that when we are back from these missions, we'll have the baby scan."

"The name is not baby scan. It's a pregnancy ultrasound scan, sugar."

"You've been reading pregnancy books already? I gotta get me one, so I can beat you and be the best parent." He said jokingly as he fiddled with her hair.

Both of them laughed only to fall into silence seconds later. With her eyes locked on him, she reached for his hands and sighed as his warm fingers found hers. They remained like that, with their fingers interlaced, for a few moments until she let go of his hands and moved to sit on his lap. Feeling safe with his arms around her, she nestled her head on his shoulders. He kept stroking her hair gently as she ran her fingers up and down his chest distractedly.

Taking matters into her own hands, she held onto him and slowly and lightly moved her hands to the back of his head. Her hands through his hair and then down his shirt, she kissed him fervently.

Her hands were making a mess of his hair as. she tasted his honey lips. He smiled into her mouth and that drove her insane. He was just so damn sexy, she couldn't resist him for half a second. He cupped her face with his hands, the heat coming off him felt like the heat of a thousand suns.

"I love you, Rogue." He managed to say in between kisses.

He was about to get more sexual by putting his hand up her shirt when he started feeling like he was being watched, and he was right. So he kept his hands for himself and just he went back to kissing her yet again, knowing fully well that he would never get enough of the taste of her lips.

What they hadn't noticed is that Jubilee and Kity had walked into the library in search of a book to help them with an assignment.

"OMFG! Kitty, look at them go at it. They are so freaking hot." Jubilee whispered as they entered the library.

"Oh, please, Jubilee! We shouldn't be looking at them kissing or STARING for that matter. We came here to search for that Physics book that Hank said we'd need in order to do the homework. Not to pry into people's private affairs!"

"Not that private it seems!"

"Let's just move it and get out of here, shall we?"

"It's just that they are so sexy. Their baby is totally going to be like the most gorgeous baby ever." After having said that, the girl let out an audible sigh.

"Truth is Jubilee has always had a huge crush on Gambit." Kitty revealed to Piotr. They both giggled while their friend blushed.

"Oh, come on! I had a crush on him alright, but it's not like I really thought of any possibility. But a girl can dream. Who can say they've never fallen in love with a teacher? And it's just that I like his classes better than Storm's and Cykes'. Besides, I think Rogue and Gambit are great together."

"That's obvious! I guess anyone in this room, watching this scene, wouldn't be able to say otherwise…" Kitty said.

"Rogue is a pretty girl." Piotr said as if thinking out loud, causing Kitty to frown. He could have stopped there, but decided against it. "Kitty, you are the prettiest of the X-Men, but Rogue is the sexiest, you have to admit it."

Jubilee made a face, her eyebrows shot right up, while Kitty looked away annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, boy! Aren't you in trouble now? You're not helping, Piotr! Better rephrase that." Jubilee suggested.

"Kitty, are you jealous?" The big guy asked the little girl.

"Who? Me? Of course not! Why would I be? It's not like we are an item or anything." And with that, she gave him the evil eye before leaving the room, stomping her feet along the way.

"Oh, women! What's her problem?"

"You got a thing or two to learn about girls, don't you, Piotr? Lesson number one: never ever compare a girl, ever! Especially to her face!"

"I'll write that down." He replied smiling at her. "Any other piece of advice I should know? Regarding Kitty…" he trailed off.

"Oh, plenty! Do you have the time?"

X X X X

Their uniforms were already in shreds. Extremely tired and panting, they decided they were done with the session for the day.

"Resume program." Wolverine said in between short gasps.

"Fuck! That was a nice one!" Gambit said.

"A tough one, you mean?" Scott corrected him.

"The tougher, the better. As with all things in life, you know?" Gambit replied with a sneer. Cyclops rolled his eyes.

"That explains many things, like falling for the girl who can kill with a mere touch." Logan suggested.

"Gambit, come over here for a second, will you?"

"What's up, Cykes?" The Cajun asked him when they were a safe distance away from Wolverine who looked at them from the distance with suspicious eyes.

"I wanted to go out with you guys tonight. I'd like to break the news of my future engagement with Jean to Logan before I go through with it. I know how he feels about Jean, I just want to make sure he'll be ok and things won't get too awkward when she shows up wearing the ring." Scott whispered.

"Mr. Summers, you are indeed one righteous man. That is very noble! I'd never do that. As much as I like Logan, if I were in your shoes, I don't know. I mean the guy loves your woman… Fuck him and his feelings!"

"Well, in fact, you are in my shoes now. Don't you think he's ever had a soft spot for Rogue?"

"What!?" The fire in his eyes burst into wild flames.

"Oh, you weren't around when she joined… Anyway, would you go with me? I don't know if I could do it alone. Just me and him would be very awkward. And you two are beer buddies and all that." Gambit groaned with reluctance. "Come on, man! You know I'd do it for you."

'The manipulative bastard!' Remy thought.

"All right, then."

X X X X

Later that night, she heard a knock on her door. She crept out of bed slowly, exhausted as she was, almost sleepwalking. When she opened the door, she could hardly open her eyes as heavy as they were with sleep.

"What is it?" She grumbled.

"Petite, do you think Wolverine has a thing for you?"

"Ahn!?"

"Can I spend the night here with you so we can talk about that?"

"Oh, sugar, only if you want to sleep with me. I mean, sleep, literally, not sleep like yesterday…Feeling fatigued is one of the first pregnancy symptoms, you know? I am exhausted!" Her voice was hoarse with sleep.

"OK. But tell me, have you ever felt Wolverine was staring at you or something?"

"Oh sugar, let's sleep, shall we?"

Gambit kept mumbling things about Logan for some time, but tired as both of them were, the one-way conversation went nowhere. They cuddled up and fell asleep moments after.

A/N:

[1] From the final episode of the 90's series: GRADUATION DAY.

[2] From Uncanny X-Men #330 (I edited it a bit)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - First Date

That night, they went to bed early. Remy made sure he was invited into her room again. He lay on his side so that she could spread in bed the way she was used to sleeping. Wanting nothing more than to curl up into the curve of his body and feeling the comfort of having him by her side, she turned around and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder. One hand held onto his shoulder, the other curled around his abdomen, she had her own human teddy bear now.

"No, Remy... why did you... do that to me" The young mutant twisted and turned in bed in the middle of the night. " Sex… that woman... I hate it…" she said quite loudly.

He jumped awake at her calling out his name, only to be haunted by the words that followed it. Once again she was talking in her sleep causing him consternation by saying things he didn't want to hear.

In the Savage Land, he grew used to her mumbling non-sense related to the personalities and memories she had absorbed, now talking about herself, that was a first. That night, as opposed to what he'd previously heard from her sleep talking, the message was crystal clear. There was no way he could deny what she had just said.

'So my one-night stand has affected her pretty badly because she even managed to push Ms. Marvel away from her dreams for once.' He thought sadly.

After that, no longer could he sleep. Spooning as they had slept, he couldn't see her face, as she had her back nestled up against him. Thankful for that he was, for he was not able to see the hint of pain on her face when those words were uttered.

He thought about the previous night and, thus, Cyclops' noble gesture towards Wolverine, the man who loved his bride-to-be, and decided he would never be that kind of man. No matter how hard he tried to be a better man, that was simply not who he was. Imperfect, sometimes vain and cold-hearted, and extremely selfish, that's who he imagined himself to be. And that's precisely why he decided that he was going to use his hypnotic charm on her for the first time.

He'd avoided using that ability of his for quite some time now because Xavier had convinced him it was not very fair to lead people away from their own beliefs and feelings so he could get things his way.

'Sorry, prof.' he thought 'but I'll have to exert a subtle influence over my belle's mind.'

He was determined to compel her to believe that his sleeping around meant nothing. It really didn't, so it was not like he was crossing the line too much. Well, at least that's what he was trying to convince himself of. He thought that, maybe, if he cast his spell on her, she would change her mind and be cool about his fall from grace. Consequently, her suffering would be gone and that would pay off, his acting a little mischievous would be for a good cause.

On top of it all, sooner or later, he knew he'd end up falling into the temptation of influencing her. Except that, it was for a good reason. He couldn't allow her to hurt. Not any more than he was now sure he'd already had. Perhaps that would be the best use he'd ever given to his empathy talent. That would be simply parfait.

Closing his eyes, he breathed in slowly taking the scent of her hair as he did so. Very delicately he lowered his hand from her waist to her belly caressing it softly for a moment.

He was so madly in love with her and their child. Feeling his every heartbeat, as intense as they were, he wished intimacy moments like those could last forever. That foolish heart of his ached even though she couldn't be any closer to him than she already was and it made him wonder if everyone loved the same way he did.

There couldn't possibly be any feeling stronger than that. No one would ever love her as much as he did, of that he was completely positive. He wondered if the constant agony and thirst for her company would ever subside.

Ever so gently, he slid his hand back to her waist and held her even closer to him. Relief at his decision of making her feel better invaded him at last, snuggling up to her, he finally went back to sleep.

X X X X

The night before, Wolverine and Gambit headed to their usual bar, but this time in the company of Cyclops who very rarely joined them for beer. As usual, the place was bustling. Although its sheer popularity might prove to be a turn-off for some, the guys simply loved it. Beautiful girls, pool tables, cheap booze and a truly mutant friendly environment, the latter, a rarity these days... What more could they possibly want out of a night out?

"So, Cyclops came and joined us tonight, huh? To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Well, I just wanted to spend some time with you guys. That's all." Scott replied.

"I saw you two guys chitchatting in the danger room and looking at me. I ain't no fool! What are you pretty boys up to, huh?"

"Wow! You can really go straight to the point." Cyclops said as he looked down embarrassedly to the pint of beer on his hand.

"Come on, Cykes. Just do it at once, homme, just like ripping off a band aid. It's better that way." Gambit said while thinking how he could be having a wonderful time with his adored girl at that very moment, but traded it all for being there for his good friend Scott. 'Putting it that way, I am indeed becoming a very good guy…', He thought smugly.

"Come on, Bub. What is it that's bugging you?"

"Well, it's just that, yeah, you are right, I came here with you guys tonight because of you. I wanted to talk to you and I've asked Gambit to come with me for some support."

"And also because it would be weird to say the least seeing the two of you going out together. I mean, only the two of you. Jean wouldn't let you guys. It could end really badly… Most of the times, we gotta keep you two separated…"

"Oh come on, Remy. It's not like Logan and I hate each other."

"Speak for yourself, pretty boy."

"See, mon ami?" Remy told Scott, one eyebrow raised in a smug way.

"Oh, Wolverine? Really? Do you really hate me? You are full of bullshit, that's what I say. 'Barking dogs seldom bite', have you heard this one? You put on this tough guy mask, but I know underneath, you are a good guy."

"Whatever! Just stop being so corny, will ya, pal? What the fuck do you have to tell me that couldn't be said back in the mansion?"

"Well, it's about Jean."

Hearing her name from Scott's mouth made him change his attitude in a second. His facial expression softened and his cocky gaze was replaced by a sheepish one. So this was about her? Why hadn't he thought about it straight away? Of course, it was about Jean! Why else wouldn't he have been able to talk to him in the mansion?

"What about her?" he managed to say in the softest tone of voice Gambit ever heard coming from the short man.

"Well, I know how you feel about her."

"Everyone knows how you feel about her!" Remy corrected.

"Yeah, everybody knows and I guess it's pretty evident that I feel the same way. You know, we've been in love with each other ever since we met and been officially a couple for about five years now, sharing the same room and all. So, I guess it's about time I make things really official with her. Logan, I am going to ask her to marry me." Logan flinched and shrank in his chair. "And, I'm telling you this before I even propose to her because I care about you and I know she does too. I wouldn't want you to hear from someone else or bump into her and notice the big rock on her finger. You could go ballistic, you could have a breakdown or lose your cool… none of us really know what to expect from you. So, I just wanted to make sure you were okay with this before I go ahead…"

"And what do you want from me? To give you my blessing? Scott, as much as I try to hate you and see reasons why she'd prefer to be with me rather than you, I gotta admit you're the best guy for her. If she's happy, then I'm happy. I'm sure she will be over the moon when you propose to her. And, don't you worry about me, worse things have happened in my life and I'm still here, always bouncing back."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am. What kind of bastard do you take me for? Of course, I want to see the redhead's eyes shining with happiness."

"Glad you guys sorted that out." Remy spoke hurriedly. "Now, Wolvie, Cykes here told me you had a thing for ma petite, is that so?"

"Hey, I didn't say that. Not like that!"

"What!?" Logan had not seen that coming and, improbable as it may seem, someone finally caught him off guard.

"Where do you think you're going asking me this, Remy? You two are happy and embarking on a lifetime journey through parenthood together. What does it matter now?"

"It does matter to me. You are my friend and I want to know how you feel about ma femme."

"She'd hate to have you talking about her like that. As if you owned her…" Cyclops tried to interrupt them to try to avoid what he thought was an upcoming disaster.

"Shut up, Cykes. This has nothing to do with you."

"Remy, you know how Rogue is… is… her body… I mean, she… Wait, gimme a moment here… I'm struggling to find words that won't sound disrespectful…"

Remy groaned with anger and stomped his feet on the floor… Testosterone was in the air and it was flammable. A spark was all that was needed. If Logan didn't choose carefully his words, there would be a fight and, sadly, their favorite bar would probably not be that mutant friendly anymore.

"Rogue is a very attractive young lady." Scott offered in another failed attempt to save Logan's ass.

By now, Gambit already had cards on his hands which he flicked from one hand to the other with expert precision applying his kinetic energy to them in alternate intensities. He then put the deck of the cards on the table holding onto only one of the cards which kept glowing on and off like red neon lights at the entrance of infamous brothels. He looked at Logan with fury in his eyes. Remy's deathly glare just kept going until Logan finally spoke.

"Come on, pretty face. Your woman is insanely sensual and I bet that's what got you attracted to her in the first place. Don't bullshit me with that love at first sight kind of thing. We are men, for fuck's sake. The first thing that gets you hooked on a girl is her looks. The girl is smoking hot. I am a man. Men love smoking hot girls. Therefore, I loved staring at her ass. Liked the logic, Cajun? There! I said it! And it was not just me!" He glanced at Scott accusingly.

"Hey, don't get me involved!"

"Mmm… Fair enough. It doesn't mean I like it, but I gotta admit, you have a point there."

Cyclops rolled his eyes at both of them. He simply couldn't believe those two. Funny, he thought, how the focus of their conversation had completely shifted from his willingness to marry Jean to Rogue's sexual appeal.

Remy was such a spoiled stubborn boy. Once he fixed his mind on the subject of Wolverine's feelings for Rogue, he didn't rest until he finally got to hear something about it from the devil himself.

"So, are you fine with that?"

"In hindsight, did you just say you loved her?"

"Nooo, not that, oh Gambit, I swear to God! If it weren't you, I'd already have sliced up this table and most probably your ass too. What I'm saying is that I was attracted to her in the same way any guy would be if they were not in a relationship." He said looking at Cyclops.

"Hey, do not fucking compromise me. Oh I hate myself for coming here with you guys… why did I think for a minute that we would have a mature conversation about my proposal to Jean, drink a few beers and that would be it… I hate when I make these mistakes in judgment." He smacked his forehead repeatedly in frustration.

"Relax, Cykes. Gambit here is no asshole. I got you guys, I'm okay with the fact that you guys have had an erection or two thinking about my girl" Cyclops' eyes widened at the erection remark. He would never get used to that male talk of theirs. "But hey, I was not even in the picture. So, I'm not talking about that anymore."

"Are we cool then, Gumbo?"

"Oui, mon ami. You see, we gotta bring these things up. Better that, than talking behind each other's backs, don't you think?"

"Sure, let's have another drink to that." Logan suggested.

They moved on to talk about the things they really liked to talk about: social life, money, politics, luxuries, automotive which happen to be some of the most common topics of male conversation and as they weren't any different from other men, so did they. Time passed them quickly. It was only in the late of the night that they made it back to the mansion.

X X X X

On the third and last day into their training and planning for the forthcoming missions, Xavier decided it was best if they all took the afternoon off to recover from the sessions and do some relaxing activity to be in their best mood on the following day.

It wouldn't make any difference to Gambit though. Because even if there was a Danger Room session scheduled for that afternoon, he'd skip it to be with Rogue. It killed him that he would have to be away from her for an entire day the following day. That is one day provided there were no setbacks and everything went smoothly according to plan.

Being self-assured as he was about his efficiency and skills for breaking into places, he really expected the mission to be a success. And the sooner he was done with that the better.

Even so, he wanted to be with his girl for the rest of the day. And he wanted it to be a special one.

That was going to be their first official date. Sure, they had gone out just the two of them together many times before when they were no more than teammates. He used to lure her into going out with him, always promising someone else was also coming along and that it wasn't a date. Once they were together he would flirt with her shamelessly the whole time much to her despair. Gladly, that was in the past. She was his woman now.

"Petite, I'm going to be in the danger room from nine to twelve. I'll meet you in the hall at one, ok? Wear something pretty, I'm taking you somewhere nice." He'd told her earlier that morning.

Planting a sweet kiss on her forehead, he left her bedroom before she could even get up from the bed. Such a nice start for the day, she thought.

At one, there he was, waiting for her. He was so smashingly gorgeous; his looks hit her so hard she thought she'd fall off the stairs when she saw him. It seemed he had… what?... shaved! Wearing no armor for a change, he was dressed in a casual sexy style only he could pull off. His shiny chocolate brown hair fell nicely over his pretty face.

"You look amazing, chére." He said in that unbelievably sexy accent of his. Her heart was about to pump out of her chest so in love she was with him.

"This black dress of yours is very sexy, mon amour."

"Do you like it?" She said coyly. "I have to use it while I still can, sugar." She winked at him.

He took out of his pants pocket the famous little blue tiffany's box and placed it on her hand.

"Open it, chér."

Smiling her huge smile, she opened the box carefully. She would look at the box and look at him, back at the box and then, back at him again.

"Oh my God! I don't believe you actually thought of that! Earrings to match my collar! You have such good taste, sugar." The earrings were sculpted to a sensual perfection with diamonds in sterling silver. Very pretty indeed.

"Do you want me to help you with them?"

"Sure, sugar." He brushed her hair away from her neck in a gentle move. After kissing her neck lovingly, he took the pair of earrings from her hands and put them in with expert ease if you consider he's a man with no sisters or mother.

They headed to the garage to get the car. When inside the car, he told her to open the glove compartment where she found yet another tiffany's box, a little larger than the previous one.

"Sugar, this is getting old." she said playfully.

She looked at it hesitantly until he encouraged her to open this one too. It was a locket in sterling silver, medium-sized on a link clasp silver bracelet. She opened the locket to find a picture of each of them, one on each side. When closed, they'd be facing each other. She laughed whole-heartedly.

"Where did you get these pictures from?"

"Last year's annual photoshoot. I got it from Xavier's office. I cut out our faces. I only hope that Xavier won't miss us in his picture." He said in a very devil-may-care way which made her laugh again.

"This locket is to celebrate our new status. We'll always be together, ma belle, just like in this piece of jewelry."

"Oh Remy, you are so captivating. I never thought you could be this romantic. I'm not really used to that. Thank you, my love. I loved the presents." She tenderly kissed his cheek. He kept his gaze concentrated on the traffic but smiled sweetly at her loving gesture.

The moment she crossed the swing doors, she realized he'd taken her to a very exclusive and expensive restaurant where lots of high-class executives and some millionaire hobos were already having their lunch. The maitre showed them to their seats, taking their drink orders. He ordered the most expensive wine on the list while she got a freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Sugar, this date must be costing you a fortune. You didn't need to…"

"Ma princesse, worry not. You deserve the finest things. Besides, Gambit has plenty to spend. Or do you believe I was a petty criminal? Gambit didn't work for less than fifty grand a job." She got visibly surprised at the news. She preferred not to think of him as the thief everyone said he had been. "Now you can imagine how much my father has made in a lifetime with the guild."

"You talking about your father… that's a bit strange. I mean, you never mention any of your past or personal life to any of us. You told me a bit of it, but, it's still odd hearing you saying these things so simply, so matter-of-factly."

"You are my life now, chére. I've told you that before. You have to learn everything there's to know about me." She smiled and blushed delicately.

While she was reading the menu, he pressed the matter a little further.

"You know, I was thinking, maybe you should meet my family. How do you feel about that?" She put the menu down and stared at him in disbelief. Obviously, she hadn't seen that one coming.

"Mmmm… I don't know, sugar. The things you told me about your father don't make me thrilled about it. But why?"

"Well, you are my girl, now. And we are having a baby together. I think that's reason enough, don't you think?"

"It's just that I thought you didn't like them or kept any contact with them whatsoever."

"I love my brother, Henri. And Jean-Luc, my adoptive father, he may not be the best of the people you'll meet in your life, but still, he adopted me when I was very young and, whether I like it or not, he's my father. And in his own way, he's shown me love. I have to respect him and regard him as such. Also, because I am about to become a father myself, my heart has melted a bit. Training me to be a thief was what he knew how to do. Maybe that's how he knew how to show his love for me, transforming me into his successor in the guild."

"Yeah, sugar. I guess you may be right."

"Will you tell Mystique about your pregnancy?"

"That witch? Of course not. I don't want anything to do with her. I'm going to call Nightcrawler and tell him the news. The poor thing, I consider him my brother. Even though we have never lived together or anything, he's the biological son of my adoptive mother and he too has suffered because of her. We both had the misfortune of having her as a mother. I kind of relate to him, you know?"

"That's good. I'm sure he appreciates that. He seemed like a very nice guy to me. I admire his faith and righteousness. And he still knows how to crack a joke like no other." He chuckled.

They kept talking through the main course and dessert. When they were almost done, he remembered what she'd unconsciously said that night and his resolution to influence her using his empathy powers but, at second thought, decided against it. That was not right and he wouldn't be basing their relationship on lies and tricks.

"Ma belle, I wanted to say again I'm sorry for that night with that girl. I know you still think about it."

"How would you know that, sugar?" She asked a little bewildered.

"You talked in your sleep the other day."

"Oh! Did I?" Her cheeks turned crimson red.

"You did, belle. On my defense, I have to say, we were on a break."

"What!?" she said a bit too loudly.

"We were on a break. So, you know, you can't really be offended by what I did."

"Yeah, I know you're right. We weren't together at all and I'm the one who told you to move on. But it's just that sometimes I look at you when you're sleeping. I look at your teasing lips, your hunky body, and wonder how many women have kissed those lips, touched you and I feel so jealous and unworthy. Because you've had all these experienced women and I know nothing. I lost my virginity to you at twenty-four, for God's sake! How pathetic is that? Surely all the others were much better than me."

"I do not believe you're saying this! Chére, it's all about what you feel, and what I feel for you is so strong. Our sex is so amazingly better than it ever was for me. You have no idea! Besides, you are a natural at the art of making love to me." He gave her his best sexy grin which instantly made her forget it all. "I'm lucky to have had all the other women so that I knew exactly how much better it is with you."

"Really, sugar? Are you not saying this just to make me feel better?"

"Trust me, chére."

"Ok, I trust you."

"Promise me you will let it go. I can't stand knowing that you're still hurting that bad."

"I promise."

How could he think of ruining what they had now? He felt she really trusted him. Influencing her would be a perfect way to ruin that and he didn't want it. In time, he would have to open to her about his real marital status. He had to come clean and tell her he married Bella Donna Boudreaux, granddaughter of the head Assassin in a foolish attempt orchestrated by his father to reconcile the Thieves and Assassins Guilds. But not today, today he wanted to please her in every single way.

X X X X

Asteroid M's construction was on its final stage of development. Soon, it would be completed and Magneto would be able to pursue the goal of having it act as a sanctuary for all mutants, where they might live free from their human oppressors. Since he has become wary of battling for mutant supremacy, he would have his own personal mutant world to rule.

As soon as he left the X-Mansion, the master of magnetism took his children to see his project and they were impressed by the magnitude of the place. It had several internal levels, including an observation deck, hangar bays, and medical facilities. The various facilities possess technology that keeps the asteroid concealed from standard detection technology.

While they were strolling on the observation deck, he explained to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch why exactly he had recruited them to help him. They were to gather as many mutants from Earth and take them to their new home in large transports. Most importantly, they had to gather a large number of powerful mutants to help him defend his new sanctuary.

In addition to that, to guarantee the continuity of the Asteroid M he wanted young powerful mutant couples such as Rogue and Gambit who would have their children there so that he could brainwash their offspring with his ideology as much as he wanted. By doing so, he would create a new generation of mutants who knew how superior they were and who would not hesitate to use their powers to show the superiority of the mutant race and finally dominate the rest of the world.

"I want to make their child my child. Of course, I have you two and you are both so special and gifted, but your mother was only human. Now imagine how powerful their child is going to be…"

"But, father, don't you think this is wrong? Why don't you persuade them to come here together as a family?"

"Well, I did try, so, I guess I'll have to use less subtle techniques of persuasion this time."

"Father, I'm not sure I want to be part of this particular scheme."

"Don't be a fool, Quicksilver. We'll bring her and then we can have Mesmero hypnotize her. We have worked together before, I'm sure he wouldn't mind joining me again. I could make her your wife and then her child will be my adorable grandson."

"So should we act now while the X-Men are apparently involved in some mission?"

"No, we should wait. Patience is a virtue, my boy. I want to capture her when she's closer to her due date. That way she will be more vulnerable, easy prey and we'll make sure her child is born here."

"What about Mr. Sinister? You said you wanted revenge."

"Everything in its right time, Pietro. Sinister can wait and also, his knowledge as a genetics scientist might come in hand. We can persuade him to work with us, not against us. Most times the ends justify the means, son."


	19. Chapter 19

In the fancy restaurant, the young woman in the little black dress finished off her dessert, almost licking the plate. She couldn't hide her disappointment. Looking like a child who had just learned Santa didn't exist, she sighed and rested her chin in her hand.

"What is it, ma petite?"

"Mmm… nothing." She replied shyly.

"As if I couldn't read you like an open book right under my nose!"

"Ooow, I know you've taken me here in your best effort to impress me but I just hate these fancy restaurants. I'm still hungry! I ordered that ravioli because I couldn't work out what the other dishes with French names were, and then, when it came, there were only like five ravioli squares on my plate!" She whined.

"Do you want me to order anything else for you? And why didn't you just ask me what the French names meant?"

"And admitting I'm stupid enough not to know them? And that's ok. I can grab a sandwich back at home."

"Oh, chére. I'm so sorry about that."

"You see, that's why I didn't want to tell you that. I loved you bringing me here, the place is absolutely beautiful, really. I don't want to sound like an annoying ungrateful bitch. Maybe it's just because I'm eating for two. Maybe I wouldn't normally still be hungry. Oh, this pregnancy thing is so demanding and consuming. I guess my body is still adjusting. Oh, and to think that this is just the beginning! My breasts are sore, I am always tired or sick or hungry…" She kept rambling on about the inconveniences of being pregnant.

Her whining was for him an endearing scene to watch. What a complete fool in love he was. Anything she did would have him drooling all over her.

Without a doubt, she was the cutest pregnant woman he'd ever seen. Hell, he never even found a pregnant woman to be particularly attractive ever before. She was not only absolutely adorable but also super sexy at the same time. And to think that it was all his doing, their loving in the Savage Island left her with a very hard-to-ignore reminder of their body and soul surrender to one another.

Oblivious to his sexually charged heavy stare, she went on and on talking. He was not even listening anymore.

Undeniably, men have active imaginations when it comes to the reason for their uncontrollable desire. That's an irrefutable fact. Gambit's capacity to fantasize was way over the average, so it was not that hard to get his engines revved up when she didn't even expect to be grabbing that kind of attention from him.

As she distractedly started rubbing her shoulders and upper arms as she spoke, she noticed that each body part she touched, his eyes would follow eagerly. So she subtly ran her fingertips along her neck, really slowly and softly. And she could tell he was eating it up. It had just become a sordid enticing game for her too.

Looking at him with flirty eyes, she rested her hand on her bosom and then started rubbing it softly as if absent-mindedly, except that she was, in reality, teasing him.

His flaming eyes were unable to leave that smooth, creamy flesh while he smiled provocatively at her. Would she ever have anyone who looked at her that way? He could make her actually feel pleasure just by looking at her the way he did.

The soft music that had been playing all the while was suddenly fading into the background, replaced by a buzz in her ears. She wanted him so badly it was illegal!

Looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but replay in her head the action that took place the night before in her bed. She pursed her lips at those thoughts, unaware that her mouth had a mesmerizing effect on him. Whenever she pursed those delicious lips of hers, he would madly crave to have them crashed into his.

"Hey! What? How did you do that?" She let out a nervous giggle.

"Years of practice, chére." He told her and smiled mischievously.

He was rubbing her leg under the table making her breath catch. She was flabbergasted that he did it so blatantly and it didn't even seem to bother him. Not happy enough with what he was getting, he proceeded to rub his hands in all her body parts he could possibly reach. She tried to maintain a façade and smiled politely while making eye contact with him. At times her eyelashes would flutter.

Moments later, he flagged down the maître and spoke to him in French. Oh, of course, in a posh restaurant, the maître had to speak French. She looked at the scene slightly confused. Then, to her utter astonishment, he slipped the man a one-hundred-dollar bill. He did it so that they could get some privacy in the staff room.

"Chér, I'm going to the second door next to the restrooms and I'll be waiting for you there. I'll leave the table and in a minute or two, you follow me."

"What!? Wh…why?" She just couldn't believe his audacity.

"Why? Chére, you gave me the impression you wanted to get a little close and personal with Gambit."

"Oh, sugar. I'm sure it can wait." She said shrinking in her chair and feeling instantly embarrassed.

"Come on, petite. Let's have some fun. I was eager to show you the pleasures of an unexpected and unconventional setting." He insinuated.

Was there any point in saying 'no' to him when all she needed was for him to be inside her body? Of course, there wasn't. So she followed his plan.

Five minutes later, she was opening a door that had a sign on it which read 'Staff Only'. Once inside, she realized it was a very small room where the staff left their belongings. In fact, that was not even a room, more like a closet. She couldn't lie, she was thrilled and excited about this little adventure of theirs.

As soon as she closed the door, she was met by his hungry lips over hers locking in a deep kiss. She kissed him back with ferocity. The tiny room was dark, there were no windows and he didn't turn on the lights. She was suddenly stricken by fear.

"Remy, say something, I can barely see you! Is it really you? Why did I agree to this? I can't see a thing!"

"Of course it's me, chére. Don't you recognize my kiss?"

"It's just that I'm a little nervous… We are being very naughty! What if someone gets in and sees us here?"

"I have the key, petite. The guy gave it to me. I'm locking us in, ok? Relax, mon bebé."

No use in arguing any longer, she was all his now. As if he was controlling a marionette, she positioned her standing with her back to him. He, then, unzipped her dress which fell to the floor in one go. Tracing kisses from her neck and then down her spine, his hands cupped her breasts. As Remy slid down and began planting kisses on her inner thighs, she gasped.

Moaning lightly, Rogue threw her head back as his tongue began licking at her flesh. He turned her around and started licking her stomach, making his way up slowly, sucking her nipples, then her neck, until he was finally kissing her again. He took her breath away.

She could feel him hard against her now and decided to soothe his agony by caressing him where he wanted most.

When she heard his heavy breathing, she thought she would meltdown. With the greatest of ease, he finally slid between her legs and made his way inside of her.

'What were they thinking? Having sex in the staff closet of a fancy restaurant. That was complete madness.' She thought.

The danger of the situation aroused her even more. With his constantly deep but gentle strokes, she yelped, which made him whisper sweet 'shhs' in her ear. He had her face the wall now. His hands caressing her breasts while their hips swayed together passionately.

That was more than she could handle and she felt as if her knees would give in and she would collapse to the ground at any moment. As if listening to her thoughts, he pressed her against the wall and picked her up, and held her buttocks while she enveloped his waist with her slim legs.

She cried out, spasms of pleasure shaking her. Opening her eyes, she looked at him in the eyes. He looked back at her and kissed her urgently. Trying to catch her breath, she cried out in desperation.

"Remy, I love you."

"I love you too, chére."

Overridden by emotion, both of them reached climax.

"Oh, Remy, I would never imagine I'd be doing something like that in a million years!" She said while she hurriedly got dressed.

"Wait, chére. The best is still about to come. We have to go back to our table with the most cynic smile on our faces and pretend nothing has happened."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Anna Marie, you are ma femme now. You gotta learn these things…" He grinned at her after cockily slapping her ass as she headed out of the room. She walked out and sure as hell she couldn't wipe that smile off her face if she tried.

After some minutes, they reunited at their table. Gambit asked the waiter to bring the check. Somehow, her glow was replaced by an apprehensive air in her complexion.

"Why so silent, chére? I thought I have just made you very happy in there." He smirked.

"It's just that I have been meaning to talk to you about something for quite some time now and I never know how to put this matter into words, and end up not voicing it at all."

"I'm all ears, petite. Go on."

"Remember how I've seen your memories? I mean, it's not like I had time to watch all your life playing on my head while munching on popcorn and having soda, but I did see something utterly appalling…"

"I assumed you had seen that." His head hung low in shame.

"Why?"

"Because then you wanted nothing to do with me, that had to be one of the reasons."

"You assumed it wrong! I can't believe that we've never actually talked about that. I just thought I should let you know what I did see. I mean, I invaded your privacy. Not like I had a choice, but even so, I think you know what I'm talking about, don't you, sugar?"

"New York tunnels?"

"Yeah." She spoke softly. "And Morlocks." He lowered his gaze, immersed in guilt as she went on speaking. "I just wanted to say that I've seen how you feel about it, how truly sorry you are, how you still suffer, and most importantly, I want you to know I'll never ever tell this to anyone, I swear by my life, by your life and the life of our baby. And you know why? Because I've felt the remorse and pain you have inside of you and I'm not naïve enough to believe that people would understand you or forgive for having done that. But I, I know why you worked for him, and I can also relate to that. I've lost counts of how many times I've thought of selling my soul to the devil in exchange for the possibility of having my powers tamed too… that's why I never judged you and I never will."

"Thanks, chére. You have no idea what it means to me. Finally, I have someone to fully rely on."

"You can always lean on me, sugar. No one else will ever know. I wish I didn't have to see that… but I did, so, I just wanted to let you know that your secret is safe with me."

"Was that all you saw?" he thought about his wedding. He assumed she hadn't otherwise, that she would not have missed the chance to talk about.

"I saw how you felt about me. How you saw me, even, felt myself in your body having sex with me!" She made a face, lighting up their mood.

"Wow! That's naughty! Tell me more about it." His devilish smile was back. He rested his chin on his hands and his eyes watched her expectantly.

"Oh, come on! That was gross!" She giggled. "You seem to think I'm really great at sex. Rogue, the one who had never been touched! Unbelievable!"

'How lucky I am to have this woman in my life.' He thought watching her beautiful smile once again on her face.

After they left the restaurant, they decided to go for a walk through the streets of New York a bit more and, hopefully, grab something for Rogue to eat on the way.

Life was good. They had each other and had all the afternoon to enjoy whatever New York threw on their way.

X X X X

"Ruckus, I have a message for you to deliver to that crap of a boss you have."

"How? How did you get my number?"

"Tell him wherever the hell he is that my father has an offer for him, an offer he can't refuse."

X X X X

Back in the mansion, the girls were hanging out, just talking and being regular people, off their superhero duties for a change.

"I am so glad Cyclops is not in my team for a change. If he were, he would be totally freaking out because we are here, not training, planning, or being instructed on what to do. Having Gambit as a leader is so much more, what's the word... mmm... inspiring." Jubilee said as she stretched her little body on the sofa. Realizing Jean's angry stare, she tried to correct it. Shoe shiner smile!

"I mean, Cyclops is a great leader, but…"

"Oh never mind it! I know my Scott can be a pain in the ass at times. It's just that he's so overzealous. However, I guess you all know he acts that way with the best of intentions. But, Jubilee, on second thought, you should be glad to have a team at all… or do I have to remind your recent past? It's only what? Your third or fourth mission. You have just been included on the team effectively and you are already complaining about your leader. You are turning out to be just as arrogant as your favorite teacher." Jean said a little irritated.

"Have you realized that, interestingly enough, Gambit managed to pick a team of women only? My friend is certainly a laugh." Storm said.

"A visionary!" Jubilee offered.

"I knew he would pick Kitty because of her abilities. I guess from now on they will always work together. I am at loss as to why he chose me though." Jean said.

"Maybe Cyclops asked him to. Because he may be afraid of what can be found in the Savage Land." Jubilee pointed out.

"Mmm… interesting input, Jubilee." Jean pondered. "That was a first!' Jean teased the young one.

Interrupting their conversation, familiar voices broke into the hall. They were singing and laughing out loud at the same time. Rogue's loud giggling was easily recognizable.

Stepping into the hall, they were instantly met by the amazed gaze of their friends who were sitting on the large sofas that were placed on a corner of the entrance. Holding his woman's delicate hands, Gambit made her twist around herself all around in a circle, stopping short when he saw all the other X-men women staring. The girls started laughing at them.

"Gee! Are you guys drunk or what?" Jubilee asked.

"Not drunk, just happy!" He said.

Rogue delicately blushed.

"I can't even drink!" She declared. And they all laughed out loud a bit more.

"Seriously, though, Rogue, have you been drinking?" Jean asked.

She straightened up her face for a second.

"Of course, I haven't drunk! It's serious, we are just happy! Truly happy people can have fun without booze."

"Oh, you two are so dreamy!" Jubilee sighed.

Realizing the girls would probably want some time together to catch up, Gambit gave his reason for living a peck and whispered in her ear.

"I've had the most amazing time this afternoon with you. Mon bébé, tu est simplement parfait. I'll go upstairs, have a shower, and do some mission planning, ok, chére? I'll see you later, right?"

"Ok, sugar. I'll be here with the girls for a while." She replied.

"Oh, I see what you girls did there. My team is assembled. I'll talk to you later after dinner, mes amis." He said to the girls after climbing up the stairs.

"Oh guys, we were singing that song cause we've just had the most amazing time in a bar with a karaoke machine. It was so much fun." Rogue explained.

"I bet that must have been quite a sight!" Storm laughed.

"At this time of the day, they have things like those on?" Jean asked.

"Ooooh, you guys could have taken me. I love karaoke!" Jubilee said.

"What are these bags you're carrying? Are you already shopping for the baby?" Storm asked with curiosity.

"These? Oh no, we just bought a few things. Ok, we got only one teeny tiny t-shirt for the baby. It's green so that it can be used by a boy or a girl." she glowed adoringly as she spoke dreamingly of her baby. "Ok, check this out!"

She opened one of the bags grabbing two t-shirts: a red adult-sized one and the baby one she'd just mentioned.

"I bet my daddy could beat the crap out of yours? HA HA HA That's hilarious!" Jubilee said.

"Seriously, love changes people! You went along with that, Rogue? Will you dress your baby in it? Oh, Heavens! That's simply unbelievable!" Jean said shaking her head from side to side in disapproval.

"Now this one, I'll be wearing tonight at dinner." She showed the red t-shirt with sayings embroidered in white which read 'Cajun boys do it better' causing an uproar of laughter.

"Oh, I bet they do…" Jubilee sighed.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 - The Stallion

Fate determined they were lovers that were destined to do great things together, to make life better for others rather than simply for themselves. Yet there were little sacrifices they had to make. Being apart was one of them. Remy LeBeau had developed his own kind of separation anxiety. Having to leave his woman's side was excruciating pain that he tried hard to downplay in front of the others.

However, the pain of separation acted as a focusing lens, giving each one time they were away from each perspective to see the intensity of their love, to be sure that there can be only one lover for their lifetime. Otherwise, upon the very start, the dark force would sew paranoias and replay the pains of their past to separate them. Yet after the terrible pain of the first separations, after the clarity it brought each of them, they become one unit of two souls, free and united by their own choice.

One of his last-minute preparations for the mission was putting her to sleep as best as he could before he left. Too coward to say 'goodbye' as he had grown afraid of the word recently, he set out to do it the best way he knew how to: making sweet love to her. Clever as he was, he had realized 'pregnant rogue' unlike 'regular greedy Rogue' would fall asleep as soon as their lovemaking was over. Oh, if all goodbyes were that good!

He took a second to admire her sleeping. She had a happy look to her face, he thought. After kissing her forehead tenderly, he left an 'I love you' note on her bedside table, got up, dressed in a rush, and left closing the door very carefully as not to wake her up. Looking at his watch, he groaned.

"Fuck! My girls, I mean, my team, must be in the hangar already."

And he was right. Impatiently waiting for him were Storm, Jean, Jubilee, and Kitty.

"Gambit, my friend. What took you so long?" Storm asked.

"Chill out, Ro. I'm five minutes late, it's not the end of the world…"

"I know exactly what he's been up to. He was screaming his thoughts on the way here… I just couldn't help seeing a bit of it."

"For fuck's sake, Jean! Can't a person have privacy around here even in their own head?"

"Sorry, Gambit. But really, the vibration of your thoughts was overwhelming. I was thinking of you as I was waiting for you here…we somehow connected, and it just happened. On my defense, I don't do it all the time."

A second of silence.

"Yes, Hank told me he's already talked to his friend at the hospital and he'll be taking Rogue to do the baby scan tomorrow or the day after, I guess."

"Ha! Gotcha! I asked you that in my mind! I would like to see how you'd react if any of us here could see you getting close and personal with Scott."

"Oh Gambit, just leave it alone." Storm interceded.

"Well, the professor can, if he wants to. But I'm sure he doesn't."

"It's only you pervy girl that likes to watch other people's sexual life in your head, isn't it?" He asked with a smirk.

Jean blushed and simply didn't reply to the accusation. It was not true, but she did see some things once in a while. But it was not like she had a choice, though. Storm shook her head in disapproval whilst Gambit smiled in triumph.

"Man, with a leader like this, we are totally lost," Kitty whispered to Jubilee.

"Oh no, with a leader like him, we got it all," Jubilee replied.

"Would you stop that? It makes me sick really. You know Rogue and him are perfect together and all that."

"Oh, don't be silly. It's just that he's so hot. My mind insists on creating childish fantasies and tales with him… that's all. Haven't you ever had a crush on a teacher? Now, what about you and Piotr? Now that's actually something. You're just a child compared to him and you guys actually make out!"

"Shhhhh! I don't believe you're saying that. That's our secret."

"Girls! Girls! What's up? No need to fight! There's Gambit for everyone." He winked at the little ones. Kitty rolled her eyes and Jubilee blushed.

"Let's get going. All you girls in the plane now. Kitty, would you like to be our pilot tonight?"

"Wow! Seriously, Gambit? That would be great! Thanks!" Kitty said.

"Gambit, are you serious? You choose the most inexperienced of us all to be the pilot?"

"Well, that's exactly why. Someone's gotta give the girl an incentive, a vote of confidence."

"That could be fine were we not on a real mission!"

"Jean, you are getting too much like Scott. Relax for a change, will you, chér? You guys are so paranoid!"

And off they went, bitching and arguing over every little decision they had to take. It made him question his own decision of putting together a team of girls. Men were so much easier if you told them to jump off a cliff, they would. A guy didn't argue over orders. Orders are orders and that's that. But girls, oh no, they wouldn't take just anything. They were much better than that. They always stood for what they believed in and that's why they were super such valuable assets.

Meanwhile, Cyclops's team was already exploring the jungle as they had left to the Savage Land earlier that day. Wolverine, Colossus, Beast, and Cyclops roamed the rough jungle with expert ease. So far, they hadn't found anything that would lead them to believe that Mr. Sinister was still there.

They had already been to the lab where some of them had been imprisoned two months earlier and found little evidence against him. Before having destroyed every single piece of equipment, they tried to find tubes with the DNA samples the villain had managed to extract from Magneto and Rogue without success. Once everything in the lab was taken care of, Cyclops decided they should take a last look around before returning to the mansion, even though, they were almost positive Mr. Sinister had fled the Savage Land a long ago.

X X X X

Back at the mansion, she woke up startled, panting and acting restless. There had been yet another nightmare. Same old story, Carol Danvers, and her threats of taking over her body. It took her all her focus to calm herself down. Breathing in and out slowly helped her achieve her goal. When she was finally back to reality, feeling relieved that had just been a dream, she realized he was not there.

So typical of him, she thought. She knew that was his way of saying goodbye. Did the devilish Cajun really think he was tricking her? Of course, she knew he wanted her to sleep saving him the pain of saying goodbye before the mission. The thing is she liked to go along with his trickery and that had been such a sweet way of bidding farewell.

She was about to get up when she saw his note. His beautiful handwriting, especially for someone who had not been formally schooled, stood out in the back of a credit card receipt.

"Ma petite, tu est the best thing in my life. I just couldn't bring myself to say goodbye. I hope you don't get mad at me for waking up without me. You may be sure that you are never alone, mon amour. I am with you in your heart at all times. Je t'aime, belle."

Feeling deep in love with him, she sighed slowly. How could this be that now that he was completely hers, her heart still ached that much when she thought of him? It ached because she loved him and wanted to spend every single minute of her life by his side. Being apart was unbearable. Their fire and passion didn't seem to be fading like in other people's relationships. He had to be the best lover ever, so romantic, so gentle, so caring. Acting foolishly like a teenage girl, she kissed his note and put it back where it had been originally left.

Aware that only professor Xavier would be in the mansion, she decided to remove her collar. It was good to have the chance to take it off once in a while and feel her powers flowing through her body again. She floated around the mansion looking for professor X.

'Rogue, I'm using the Cerebro. I sense you are looking for me.' Telepaths were weird. No matter how long she had been exposed to that kind of communication, they would always surprise her and her heart would skip a beat.

'Oh God, Professor! You almost killed me this time! I'll be there in a second.'

Entering the Cerebro room, Rogue was met by Charles Xavier and his kind smile. Apparently, he had finished doing whatever he was doing to talk to her. He suggested both of them went to the living room to be more comfortable. He had also been meaning to talk to her.

"So, dear Rogue, how can I assist you? I could feel your concern when you were looking for me."

"Well, prof, it's my dreams. Again. After all those sessions when we worked through it, they had been less and less constant. But now, they are coming back again, full power, you know?"

"I knew that would probably happen. With Remy and the pregnancy, your thoughts and efforts haven't been focused on blocking her as they should be. The constant fatigue and lack of energy are also factors that contribute to your failure to keep her out of your head."

"Oh, God! A girl can't be happy for a change."

"I understand your disappointment, Rogue. I'm trying to figure out a way of helping you with that matter for once and for all. There's got to be a way for us to give Carol another chance at life and put her psyche back in her own body."

"That would be great, for me and for her too, I guess."

"I'm sorry it's taking this long, dear. I believe that has never been done before, and now we have to be extremely careful with anything we do. Besides, Gambit wouldn't let me try anything on you that I'm not completely positive to be effective and harmless."

"I know, professor. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with that. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"There's something I was thinking of and thought it was best to consult with you before anything else. I can assure you that you only have to do what you feel comfortable with."

"What is it, prof? Just say it, don't worry about me."

"This wasn't actually my idea. Ororo came to me, complaining, I mean, suggesting that you and Gambit should have your own room. Why don't the two of you move into one double bedroom on the first floor?"

"What exactly did Ororo tell you, professor?" Rogue asked softly looking a little embarrassed.

"Well, it seems that your…er… adult activities late at night have been a burden to her. She has a hard time sleeping because of the… mmm… sound that comes from your room. And she said you two have been sleeping together most nights now. So what's the point of having separate bedrooms? Moreover, dear, once your belly grows it will get complicated not to say inconvenient for you to share a single bed." Rogue blushed at those words and the professor didn't seem at ease to be having that conversation with her either. They exchange awkward looks.

"Oh!" she managed to utter. "So that's what it's about. Well, I don't know if Remy is up for that and…"

"Yes, he is. Storm has already talked to him about that." He interrupted her.

"Really? He hasn't told me anything about it."

"And the two of them are already working on your new bedroom. Do you want to see it?" He offered.

"So, in fact, you are only informing me of what has already been decided, aren't you, prof?"

"Did I make it that obvious? We'd better not let them know that I didn't elaborate it more convincingly. And please, don't be mad at them. They are so anxious for you to see what they've been up to."

"How could I? You all are so amazing. I mean, going through all this trouble to make me happy. And my Remy, oh, he's so adorable. I couldn't ask for a better family than this one and that's all thanks to you, professor." She leaned down to hug him. He cleared his throat and said.

"Dear, you're not wearing your collar."

"Oh, you're right! Sorry about that, prof."

They took the elevator and went to the first floor. The room in question was opposite Jean and Scott's. New neighbors, she thought. Entering her new room, her jaw dropped in surprise. It was the most beautiful room she'd ever seen and it was theirs. That's where they would have their happy moments from now on. Their own lovely world.

The place had been decorated to the highest standard and furnished in tasteful neutral tones. A lovely large bedroom dominated the room and it was the first thing that caused an impact on her. On both sides of the table there were matching bedside tables and on top of each of them, there were classy picture frames with pictures of him and her, photos of them separately and together. Most pictures of them together were taken on a photo both on their first date as a couple that same week.

'So that's why he insisted on us taking so many pictures that day? He had this all going on and kept this a secret from me. That swamprat loves to fool me.' She thought.

There was also a large fitted wardrobe to one side of the room and on the other side was the door to their suite bathroom. On the corner next to the entrance door were two comfortable armchairs with footstools. Between those was a little table that held scented candles. It was all so perfect. She couldn't help it but get a bit emotional, shedding silent tears of happiness.

"I'm glad you like it," Xavier said in a low voice.

"Like it? I love it!"

"You must be wondering where the baby will fit in here. Well, there's the room next to this one. It's a bit smaller, but I'm sure it will be just right."

"A room for the baby?" She smiled broadly.

"But this one, I won't let those two meddle with. That one we'll be decorated by you. You'll decide everything about it."

"Oh professor, that's so sweet. This is all so great! I hope this good dream never ends."

X X X X

In a luxuriously furnished eighteenth-century townhouse in West London, more precisely in one of the residential streets parallel to Kensington Church Street near Notting Hill Gate, a young white-haired man, and the renowned geneticist were sitting in a decadent plush sofa. Their conversation involved the future of other people, they were aiming at controlling destinies besides their own.

"Damn it, Sinister. Your counterproposal has got to be good. I had to spend almost eight hours of my life on a commercial plane to come here… I'm a fast man, you see. I don't like sitting and waiting."

"Oh, I thought you would enjoy coming to London and taking the time to get to know the city. Have you been to the National Gallery Museum already? Or to the Tate Modern? They are definitely not to be missed."

"You are unbelievable! Cut this bullshit, you know damn well I'm not here as a tourist. We are here to talk business, do I have to remind you that?"

"Oh, ok, then, fast man." He paused and started contemplating the possibility of acquiring Quicksilver's abilities. Seeing the young man was less than thrilled and had started tapping his feet on the floor at an inhuman speed, he went on. "So your father had said that if I didn't help him out with my knowledge and scientific expertise in the final touches of his asteroid M project, he would annihilate me in revenge for my last strike against him."

"Sounds fair enough, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't quite agree with that, young man. I don't think your father could really afford to waste time on me now at such a critical point of his project. What's more, I'm not really afraid of him. I took him down that one time and could probably do it again." Quicksilver clenched his fists and furrowed his brows. Negotiation was not going to be smooth. "Moreover, I don't work for free and don't believe anybody should do it. So, what I say is, we help each other. That way everyone is happy."

"What do you mean? What do you want from us?"

"Not from exactly from you. But you could help me out. I've heard that you are very excited to get that vampire girl for yourself."

"Vampire? Do you mean, Rogue?"

"Yes, of course. The girl sucks people's life energy and powers, who else did you think I meant? Anyway, so, you want Gambit's girl and I want Gambit. So there you go. One hand washes the other…"

"Why are you so obsessed about Gambit? Are you gay or something?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"He's been my best recruit ever and he has so much potential. If I could get him to work for me again… I could implant a chip on his head and as he himself would say… voilá, he'd forget about his past and be my obedient slave."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea. Rogue will believe she's always been my wife because Mesmero will hypnotize her and I would be sure no one would ever try to take her from me, once Gambit will be out of the picture."

"Exactly! I knew you were a clever boy. So I think we have an agreement already."

"I gotta talk to my father first. But I really think this could be advantageous for us."

"So why don't we start talking plans and strategies. We could act soon."

"Not that fast, Mr. Sinister. Having her now among us would probably get me unfocused and would delay the launch of asteroid M. When everything is ready and she's close to her due date we'll capture her. And then, you could take him. For now, we wait and plan carefully. I don't want anything to go wrong."

"You seem to be very much motivated to comply with your father's instructions this time, huh?"

"Wouldn't you be if you were in my shoes? That girl is smoking hot. I really wouldn't mind waking up to her pretty face and sexy body every day."

"Very motivated indeed…"

X X X X

It had been three days after they had completed the last mission. Cyclops' team hadn't found anything relevant but had managed to destroy what was left of Mr. Sinister's lab whereas Gambit's team did find important documents and information on the Brand Corporation headquarters.

The most important findings were that the company has been funding geneticists all over the globe, and had funded Mr. Sinister as well, as a large amount of cash was being transferred every month to a bank account on his real name, Nathaniel Essex. However, after the Savage Land incident that monthly transactions ceased and the same amount of money had been transferred to a new account under a different name and this time, the bank account was not from the US, but from the UK. This had led them to believe the scientist had found refuge in his home country.

Shockingly, another thing they discovered was that the company had some connection with the government and kept records on various mutants. Strangely enough, and to Gambit's despair, the only X-Men that had records in their system was Rogue. Why could she have raised interest from these people?

And last, but not least, confirming Xavier's suspicions, Brand Corporation was heavily financing Magneto's Asteroid M project.

Even with all these problems hanging on their heads, today was not a day to think about any of this, for that was the day Rogue and Gambit would see their baby for the first time. The first ultrasound is a nerve-wracking experience. Not only is it the first time that you get to see your baby-in-belly but it's often when potential problems are discovered.

"Rogue, the scan will take about five to 10 minutes. I will put some gel on your belly and will move a small hand-held device, called a transducer, over your skin to get views of your baby, ok?" Hank explained to them, looking at her tenderly.

"OK" She replied excitedly with a huge smile on her face, Remy squeezed her hand as support. He was visibly anxious next to her. He just couldn't wait to finally see something that would make their baby more real to him. For now, it all looked like a dream he would wake up from at any moment.

"After we finish the scan, you'll be given a report which will tell you exactly how many weeks pregnant you are. But as my friend who's assisting me here is an experienced obstetrician, he'll tell you more about it as we go, ok?"

"Merci, Hank."

Dr. Mc Coy started the simple procedure, Dr. Brown, his friend, was on the computer adjusting the images that were starting to show up while the couple looked eagerly at the screen.

"So, here, as you can see, is your gestational sac. I think I can tell you must be eleven weeks pregnant now."

"Eleven? It hasn't been that long since, well, you know, has it?" She asked.

"Gestational what, mon ami?"

"The miracle of life is fascinating, isn't it?"

"Eleven weeks because we count the pregnancy weeks since the date of your last period." Dr. Brown explained patiently.

"Oh, yes! I guess Hank had told me that."

"Oh, and here's your little tiny baby. It's about three centimeters now and that's how I know you are that far along."

"Where?" Remy asked, scratching his head.

"Oh, that's our baby, sugar!" Her eyes shone with tears about to fall.

"Oú, mon amour? I still can't see it."

"It's that spot on the screen, sugar. The doctor has just said it's only three centimeters long…"

"Oh! There it is! Oh, c'est magnifique. C'est mon petit bebé." Hank patted on his back and smiled at him.

The doctor continued moving the transducer over her lower abdomen.

"Hey, there's another gestational sac, which means another baby. Yes, there it is! Your other baby."

In shock, everyone fell silent. Remy looked at Anna blankly as if it were some sort of joke. Rogue's face went completely ashen.

"Let's listen to their heartbeats." The doctor suggested cheerfully. Loud and fast thumps filled the room. Two distinct heartbeats were loud and clear.

Gambit finally snapped out of the shock, stood up, and lifted his arms victoriously positioning himself like a boxer who had just knocked out his opponent. World's biggest smile on his lips.

"Yeah! Gambit, the Cajun stallion! I'm the best there is! Made two babies at once, yes, sir! I just can't wait to tell Wolvie and four eyes about this!"

The young mutant couple was blissfully clueless about what was coming their way, but as they walked out of the radiologist's office, they were laughing and holding hands, and this time not out of fear but out of excitement.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – Twist of Fate

A week later, the girls, except for Storm who was taking part in the accountability meeting, were gathered in the living room. Jean showed off the big rock on her left ring finger proudly. The cushion-cut two-carat diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds sparkled like stars.

Its brilliance and that matching smile on Jean wore on her face lit up the whole room. The pretty red-haired young woman was glowing with pride and excitement over her upcoming wedding ceremony and the prospect of becoming Ms. Summers.

"Jean, I'm so happy for you! It's what you've always dreamed of, you lucky girl! Tell us, how did it go down? How did Scott propose?" Rogue said grinning widely.

"Oh, it was so romantic!" She blushed.

"This ring must have cost him an arm and a leg!" Jubilee offered.

"It was simple but special, just like our relationship. Lovely and uncomplicated. Well, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant. For me, it looked just like any other regular date, except that he was so groomed and a bit formally dressed. Even so, I just thought he felt like it and didn't give it much thought. Then, when we came back home, instead of rushing into the mansion as we always do, he took me by the hand to the very same spot in the gardens where we kissed our first kiss. I could tell he was a bit nervous as his hands trembled slightly when we were holding hands."

"Oh, that is cute!" Rogue commented. Jubilee and Kitty nodded in agreement.

"He kissed me sweetly. I just didn't know why he seemed so nervous. Then, he kneed and held my left hand with a trembling hand, and with the other, he took the little blue box with a white bow from his suit jacket and proposed to me. He said he loved me more than his own life, that he was sure that our love would last forever, and how he could never picture his life without me. He asked me to marry him and, I said yes."

The girls sighed and smiled all through her short narration.

"You said it all, Jean. Simple but special." Rogue said while caressing absent-mindedly the little bump on her stomach that had just started being noticeable.

"You guys make us little girls have very high expectations towards love, seriously! I don't think everyone out there is as lucky as you and Rogue." Kitty commented.

"You will be, too, Kitty. Everything in its own time, sugar." Rogue replied with a sweet smile.

"Yeah, but I'm sure there are those who are really impatient and don't even wait for this 'own time' to come." Jubilee thought out loud and got her ankle kicked immediately after by her bestie.

"Have you already picked a date, Jean? I want to know if I'll be picking a dress or a circus tent to attend your wedding." The other girls laughed at that. "Girls, you have no idea. You know there are two here. This is no laughing matter! While he's all proud, feeling super 'cause he's made two babies, I am terrified."

"Oh, Rogue, please, don't be. Think of the cute babies you'll be holding in your arms in a few months. Besides, you won't be picking your dress. I was going to wait to tell you this, but, as the issue has come up… I want you and Ororo to be my maids of honor!"

"Really? Oh, thank you! That's just brilliant! I'm so happy for you! It will be an honor indeed." She hugged her friend who was sitting right next to her tightly and shed a single tear on the news.

"You more than deserve it, dear. We've been good friends since you joined us. But, Rogue, tell me something, you said you're terrified about the pregnancy. Are you feeling that way after you've learned about the twins?" Jean tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"It's just that I am afraid, you know? I mean, if you told me four months ago I'd be expecting twins, in a serious relationship with a guy, I'd say it was easier seeing cows flying than this happening. But yet, here I am. And knowing there are two children in here just makes the weight on my shoulders heavier. This is such a responsibility!"

"But, Anna, Gambit is proving to be more than a decent man. I'm sure he'll be with you at all times. He'll support you. You're not doing this alone."

"I know. I do hope he'll always be with me, hard as it is to admit, every day my dependence on him seems to grow. It's unsettling. Right now, I'm wondering why the hell their accountability session is not over yet… It's like he's become the air I breathe, I want him to be with me at every second. This can't be normal. That man takes me to heaven and hell every day, it's unbelievable. If he's not around, my heart aches… How do you and Scott get to act so normal?"

"I don't know, it must work differently for every couple. Also, I guess as time goes by, you'll learn how to focus on different things." She winked at her.

"Oh, there he is! I mean, there they are." Kitty said when she saw Colossus coming into the room. He offered her his hand which she grabbed eagerly and they both left the room.

"Hmmm, I think these two have been spending too much time together, huh?" Jean raised one eyebrow as she spoke.

"I know! Remy and I had already realized that…"

Jubilee looked at the ceiling as if she were not listening to any of it, doing her best to avoid being questioned about Kitty and Colossus. Saved by the bell, she was. Beast, Charles, Wolverine, and Cyclops joined them in the room.

Logan sat by Rogue while the rest of the people in the room talked excitedly about Jean and Scott's recent engagement.

"How are you feeling today, mama?" Logan asked softly, well, as soft as he could manage, so, not that softly.

"Fine. I mean, as fine as I can be when I have to deal with morning sickness, fatigue, and finding out my favorite jeans won't fit anymore. What about you? How are you feeling about the news, sugar? I know it can't be easy."

He sighed heavily. "Not great, pretty. Not great, but I'm trying to focus on how greatly happy she is. That's what has to matter at the end of the day, isn't it?"

"You're right. But I just can't imagine how I'd feel if I were in your shoes. If it were my Remy getting engaged or being married to someone else, it would kill me. Talking about my hot Cajun, where's he?"

"He and Storm beat it, I guess." Hearing that, she couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy. Totally unjustifiable, she knew it. They had been the best of friends ever since Rogue knew him. Besides, he had more than proved how much he loved her, but still. A heart has feelings of its own, feelings our mind just can't control.

"He could've told me he was going out." She moaned.

"Oh, you know how the Cajun is, mama."

"Would you stop calling me that?" She said a little annoyed.

"Sorry, Rogue. Won't do it anymore, okay? And hey, I just can't believe you are jealous because Gumbo and Weather witch went out together. You two are getting more and more alike every single day. If he was here, he wouldn't be very happy to see me talking to you, the creep!"

"I'm not jealous. But he could have at least come see me before he left… with her."

"I suppose you're right, but again, you know how he is…"

"That swamp rat!" she sighed "I love that bastard."

"We know you do, mama. But if you love someone, you gotta set them free."

She digested Logan's wise words in silence for a while. She gave him a friendly hug hoping that could mend his heartbreak, then left to find solace in her own room.

X X X X

"Thanks for coming with me, chére. I really needed your advice, votre avis… There's something that's bugging me, long temps."

"You know you can always count on me for anything you need, Remy."

"Je sais, ma chère amie. I'm glad to have you as my best friend."

"Always at your service, dear Remy. I'll never forget what you've done for me. Now, what is your problem?"

"I was thinking I should introduce her to my father and brother at least. She's pregnant with my babies and even if she weren't, I love her and she's the one I want to spend my life with. I've talked to Henri about it, they want to meet her and that has other implications too, you know."

"Mmmm… Like what?"

"Well, you know about my…er… my wife."

"What about her?"

"Well, Rogue doesn't. She doesn't know I've been married."

"You haven't been married, Remy, you are still married. And at the same time, you have never been her husband. I mean, it's not like you two had a real married life together or anything like that. And actually, I had thought about that after you and Rogue got serious. What will you do about it?

"Bon, this is what I was going to ask you. What should I do about it? I feel that I have to tell her, to open up, be frank before she finds out from someone else."

"I thought she had seen it when she absorbed you."

"Somehow she didn't and for that, I'm really glad. She has to hear it from me."

"So what are you waiting for? Just tell her, my friend."

"I don't know how to do it. I know she'll be less than thrilled about it… I'm afraid she's going to push me away when she learns the truth. She might as well block me out... again! I couldn't take the rejection one more time. I just can't live without her in my life one more time."

"So don't tell her. You haven't seen the woman in years, maybe you can live without ever having to bring it up. Maybe you could tell your family to be discreet and don't bring the subject up. Remy, I can't tell you what to do, you have to feel what's right and best for you and her."

"You are not seriously saying I should do that… it's not like you."

"You want me to tell you what you already know is the right thing to do."

"Guilty as charged, chére."

"Ok, here's what I would do if I were you. I think the truth is always the way to go. Find a way to tell her, tell it all, all the circumstances. Open your heart to her, tell her how you love her, and need her to understand. I'm sure you guys will be okay. Don't forget to reassure her of your feelings. But, can I ask you something, why now, exactly? Why is it urgent now? You said you had to talk me to me straight away like your life depended on it."

"It's just that… I've seen the look in her eyes when I told her Scott was going to propose. I guess at some point she'll expect me to propose to her too, don't you think?"

"Remy, Rogue has always said she's not that kind of girl, not that shallow. She always claimed she wouldn't mind not getting married…"

"That was before, Ro. Besides, she's a southern girl, of course, she would like to get married. She must've said those things to protect herself from the pain because she knew the way her powers are, her prospects of a relationship were not that good."

"Well, you've got a point there."

"Also, I want her to be my Mrs. LeBeau. She's mine, elle est ma vie, and will be the mother of my children. I want her to have my name…"

"Love does change a person! You said you would never ever be walking down the aisle again, Mr. LeBeau."

"I know! But I hadn't tasted real love back then. Moreover, this time around, it would be purely my own choice. Mine and hers."

X X X X

Later that night, they were in their new bedroom doing what they did best to each other: making sweet love.

She moaned lightly at every touch of his. Her whole body throbbed at the deliciousness of him, of his touches, his kisses, his tongue pleasuring all parts of her body, lingering on some special ones... his light grunting on her ears drove her crazy. Every stroke of his inside of her sent waves of unbelievable pleasure all over her body.

She sat on top of him facing him, staring deep in his eyes while leading the moves herself. He was almost delirious, that woman, those sexy green eyes that dig deep into his soul. Her divine body that he became a part of over and over again. The sweet girl that had become a woman in his arms months earlier.

He would never get enough of feasting his eyes on her splendid curves, her naked smooth white skin… She was definitely the best in all senses and she was his, forever, all his, he was sure of that. Her eyes met his and she bit on her lips. The mere sight of that would make him melt inside. She was so damn sexy.

Sex with love was heavenly. He never wanted it to go back to the way it was before her. That was sex as it was meant to be. Heart, soul, and body connection.

While she pressed her body fiercely into his, she managed to caress his hair lovingly, her affection and adoration for that man showing through every gesture. She would alternate the pace from time to time and that would cause him to groan in pleasure.

Sitting up, he reached out for her lips and let his tongue slip between them. She moaned sweetly as she kissed him back. Reassuringly, he hugged her tighter, resting both his hands on the small of her back.

Her heart, already pounding, began to thump even louder. Her head was swimming, and she felt slightly faint as an orgasm started building up inside of her.

"Oh Remy, sugar, oh boy, you are more than I can handle! I love you, love you so very much"

He kissed her urgently in reply to that. She didn't throw out 'I love yous' all the time. Every time those words came out, he felt his heart beating would tear a hole in his chest. She sighed when their lips parted and kept meddling with his hair.

He knew she was coming down from an orgasm and those were the sweetest moments. They were in each other's arms. She was still sitting on his lap, when her happy mood took an unexpected turn.

Suddenly, the soothing caress was replaced by a sharp, stinging slap on his face. He couldn't react to it straight away, caught by surprise as he was. That was so not her!

Maybe she's trying to experiment with other kinds of sex, he thought. Then, another slap, this time more violent, and she started jumping on him, moaning louder than before, until she was actually screaming in pleasure.

Aggressively, she grabbed his hair forcing his head backward and started licking his throat upon and down, nibbling a bit occasionally.

"Chére, what is up with you? Why are you doing this to me? I mean, this can be sexy, but it's just not like you. I mean, we could play this right, if you wish. But the second slap you landed on my face really hurt!"

"I'm no one's 'chére'.Call me bitch, pretty boy! Come on! Call me! Call me bitch!" She demanded angrily. Her accent was gone.

"Bitch!" he spoke thinly, a little scared not to comply with the orders he'd been given.

Moving her hips deeper and faster into him, she reached the sky and let out a loud moan. There was no way, his pleasure was watching her orgasm and he came right after her.

She finally let go of his hair. He landed on the bed, relieved that was over, and ran both his hands through his chocolate brown locks.

Sighing deeply, he tried to make sense of what had just happened. She didn't lay by his side cuddling up to him as she usually did but stood up and headed to the bathroom.

Expecting to see her blond hair reflected in the mirror, Carol Danvers let out a gasp.

"What the fuck!" she cried.

Then it all came back to her, it hadn't been a dream. That was not a one-night stand with a random hot guy. She was in somebody else's body, in the body of the woman who had attacked her. She hated that woman so badly.

Looking down she realized her stomach was slightly swollen.

"Ugh! Someone's been eating too much."

Noticing the collar on her neck and feeling imprisoned by it, she took it off and put it on the sink. Back in the room, she looked at him with a wicked smile on her face.

"At least she's got a good taste for men, I got to give her that."

"What? Chére, come here. What's wrong? You're acting weird."

She laughed sarcastically at him.

"Why did you take off your collar? Do you want to hurt me good now, huh? I've told you before, I'll never be afraid of your powers, mon ange. The thing is I don't understand why you're doing all this."

"So is that why she wears that thing? I don't need that, silly. I'm sure I can control her powers."

She came closer to him, bent down, and kissed him. To his amazement, there had been no pull coming from her skin, even though she was not wearing the collar. And that, that was not the kiss he was used to coming from those lips, it was strange. It was not her! No love from those lips, just emptiness, and lust.

He tried pushing her away but she was strong and oh, so determined. Eventually, he broke free from her.

"What's happening here? You are not you!" As he said it, he realized the madness of his own words.

"You mean I'm not her. You are the one she loves, aren't you? You see how weak she is, she can't even control her own powers, not for you, but I can. I'm Carol, sweetie. You have just screwed me, I think I deserve to know your name too."

That had to be the strangest conversation ever. He looked at Rogue, it was her, but, somehow, her halo was gone. It was her, but it wasn't her. It was so conflicting. And now he knew who it was, Carol Danvers, the woman who had been tormenting her inside her head. Her victim and aggressor all in one package. It seemed she had finally taken over.

"For you, my name is Gambit."

"Ok, sexy. Whatever you say, Gambit. I've seen memories of a Gambit inside her mind. I've seen the darkness in you. So you, quite a villain yourself, you are her lover. I'd say that's a perfect match."

Remy didn't try to defend himself. Instead, he shook his head in disbelief. That was a smart one, there was no fooling her.

"I don't know how this happened, but professor Charles must be able to help you and ma belle. Would you get dressed so that we can go and meet him? I'm sure he'll fix this. For both of you."

He couldn't care less if the professor would fix Ms. Marvel or not, what he wished he would do was to bring his lovely Rogue back. Confused and stressed as he was, he closed his eyes for a second longer and exhaled slowly.

She picked up a pair of jeans she found on the armchair. The button wouldn't close and she complained about it, so he had to inform her that Rogue was pregnant, expecting twins and begged her not to do anything that might harm his children.

He wanted to say 'I swear I'll kill you if anything happens to my babies.' But how could he do that? Carol was in Rogue's body. There's no way he would do anything against her, that was the joker card she had up her sleeve. He knew that could be the end of him, so he decided to play it safe and be polite towards her at all times. He couldn't afford to upset her.

Just then, his cell phone rang. Disoriented and not knowing anything better to do, he picked it up without thinking.

"Hello, Remy. We need to talk." He hated those words, especially coming from her. He knew who it was the moment he had her voice and was adamant he wanted nothing to do with her at all. The timing couldn't have been worse.

"Bella?"

"I'm glad you remember your wife." She stressed the last word. Then went on: "So you're going to play daddy and you don't tell me? What kind of husband are you?"

Carol Danvers had put on a dress she got from the wardrobe and was now sitting across from him checking him out in a less than innocent way. Funny how the expression on her face made Rogue look completely different. Her lovely green eyes became resentful, malicious.

"How do you know? How did you get my number?" He asked Belladonna.

"Ask your brother. He's got a big mouth when he drinks, you know? You shouldn't be telling him stuff you don't want other people to know. Is she any different from the others you fuck around? Does she do to you all the things that I did? From what I heard, she couldn't touch people. She cannot possibly be that good in the sack!'

"It's different, Bella. I love her." Carol listened with curiosity and smirked at his words. 'Trouble in paradise?' She chuckled at the thought.

"I'm wondering here if she knows about the vows you took. What kind of woman falls pregnant with a married man's child?"

"Listen, I cannot deal with that right now. We can talk some other time if you insist."

"I'm just calling to let you know I'm visiting you soon, honey. How does seeing me tomorrow sound to you?"

Wondering how in the world those blissful days with his belle had turned into this chaos in less than an hour, he held her arm, as gently as he possibly could, that was his belle's body, after all; and walked fast, leading her to Charles' room.

This couldn't wait until the morning.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 - Turn Me On, Sugar

A knock on the door. Silence. He insisted. And finally, there he was, professor Xavier, standing at his own door on a rare occasion when he was actually surprised at someone's unexpected presence. He had been deep in sleep. Rubbing his temples, he tried to regain full consciousness and focus on the matter that was presented to him with such urgency.

Soon enough he read their minds properly and learned the cause for such commotion. So, what he feared for quite a while now had finally happened. Yes, Carol Danvers was on the driver's seat now and that car seemed headed for disaster. She would not give away the opportunity of having a body of her own that easily.

"Professor, do I need to explain or you have…" Remy asked him with furrowed brows.

"No, Gambit, you don't need to tell me, I've read both your minds. I know how hard this is for you and for that, I would like to apologize. I had foreseen this would inevitably happen sooner rather than later. However, in my defense, I have to inform you that I have been doing whatever I can to figure out a way to have Ms. Danvers back to her own body for quite some time now."

"What about Rogue? I want to have her back, as in right now!"

"I know, Gambit. I can imagine, but I urge you to be patient and bear with me. You have to understand that whatever I did to suppress Carol's essence in Rogue's mind would be a mere palliative measure. Carol's persona would eventually emerge again if the chance presented itself. And as distracted as Rogue has been lately, she will definitely have another chance. I have to concentrate my efforts on solving this issue for once and for all. "

"Hey, wait a minute. Professor Charles Xavier, right?" Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, the woman in Rogue's body interrupted them.

"That's right, Ms. Danvers."

"There must have been some sort of misunderstanding here. You guys are talking about me as if I were the villain in this story when I am clearly the victim here. I am the good girl! Can't you see? I am the one who was attacked and deprived of my own body, psyche, of my life… I wonder why you, Xavier, would defend anyone as evil as this girl. From what I remember, you had a good reputation and were known to be a good guy too."

"There's a lot you may not know about her. Rogue has joined us shortly after the San Francisco incident happened."

"When she tried to kill me, you mean." She snapped back at him.

"Well, yes. She joined us because she was in deep trouble as the conflict of emotions and thoughts raged in her head. The girl was nearly insane. You see, Rogue did what she did to you because she was told by her adoptive mother. She simply didn't know better than that, she obeyed her. Her mother ordered her to keep holding you until you fainted, well, you know what happened…"

"Still it doesn't make me any more sympathetic to her!"

"When she came here, asking for my help, I sensed repentance in her. That's why I accepted her here among my students and there hasn't been a single day when I have regretted my decision. She's genuinely a good person, she had been misguided when she attacked you, that's all."

"And you expect me to accept what you're telling me and go like 'okay, then. I'll be happy that I don't have a body and forgive that bitch did it to me'?"

"Hey, don't you call ma belle a bitch!"

"Why not? What will you do to me if I call her 'bitch'? Punch me?" She said mockingly.

Xavier ignored their bickering and went on. "No, of course, I'm not telling you to just accept it and leave it. I'm just telling you her side of the story. And also, I'd like to assure you that me and her, we have been working on ways to put your psyche back to where it belongs."

"Oh, have you? How lovely!" she spoke sarcastically. "So, I guess, until that happens, I'm not leaving her body. Have I made myself clear, handsome boy?"

"Are you like kidnapping ma Anna Marie?"

"Call it what you want. I'm not leaving!"

"L'enfer! God damn it!" Remy lowered his head and slid his hands through his hair slowly. He was racking his brains, trying to come up with a way out of this one.

A feeling of desperation invaded him and it made him want to roar. He had to focus and find a solution. He just couldn't be without her, leave someone else having full control of her body. She just had sex with him, a stranger to her, what else could she do? She was deprived of life for a long time, she could be reckless. Who the hell knew?

He had to protect his Anna. He wished she was herself now so he could hug her and feel comforted by her pretty smile. At that moment, he desperately needed the benevolent look she threw at him when he was feeling low. Then, he remembered Bella Donna's earlier call and his stomach turned. That simply couldn't be! Everything was happening at once. That couple just couldn't catch a break!

Professor Xavier broke the silence. Remy LeBeau's desperate train of thoughts was interrupted.

"Ms. Danvers, I have a proposal for you. You go back to the background in Rogue's mind and I promise you tomorrow I'll fly with her to San Francisco. We'll go to the hospital where you, I mean, your body is hospitalized and we'll transfer your psyche into your body."

"Do you take me as a complete fool, professor? If it were that easy, why didn't you do it before?"

One thing was true, Danvers was far from being a fool. She had been a top student at the Air Force Academy and enjoyed a rapid career advancement rising to the rank of Major. And it was because of her natural intellect, among other things, that she was recruited into the intelligence field and later ended up serving with the C.I.A.

"Mon Dieu! All this bitching will never end, will it?"

"You are right, Carol. I'm not totally sure that the method I've devised to make this transfer is completely safe, that's why I haven't done it before. But now, that you are giving me this ultimatum, I feel that I have no alternative other than going through with it."

"Hey! Wait a minute, you two! Vous êtes saying that you are not sure this is safe. Not safe for which of them?" Carol rolled her eyes, I mean, Rogue's eyes.

"Seriously, can you believe this guy? Do you know what? There's more to life than the woman you love, hottie!"

"Say that for yourself, there's not more to my life than her."

Xavier sighed heavily. That wouldn't be easy at all. He knew there was no point in arguing with the two of them. No conclusions would be reached and there was no way both parties would be pleased with whichever solution they came up with. Those two were fired up by the love and hate they felt for Rogue.

But, nothing like a good night's sleep to fix it all so that in the morning they could all fly to San Francisco and try to fix things up. Besides, he wanted Rogue to be well-rested for what was set to be the most straining session she would ever have with Xavier.

"I think we can't do anything right now in the heat of the moment. I recommend you two try to get some sleep and in the morning we will all go to San Francisco."

"But professor…" Gambit was about to voice his discontent, only to be interrupted by Xavier.

"Gambit, I know what you are going to say. But, shall I add that Rogue, Rogue's body needs to be well-rested for tomorrow. And remember, we all know how Rogue also wants a resolution to this particular issue."

"Oh, ok then."

"Carol, we have a guest room, I'm sure Gambit we'll be happy to show you the way there."

"No way! I won't let this hateful woman with ma belle alone. The way she despises her, I'm afraid she could do something to harm Rogue or our babies. She's sleeping in our room. I can sleep on the armchair, but I'm definitely going to keep an eye on her."

Carol sighed annoyed.

"Whatever! Fine by me. Maybe you can even love me again before sleeping, huh?" She suggested sarcastically. Gambit clenched his fists and gave her an evil stare. He was about to go boom.

X X X X

Once in their bedroom, he opened the wardrobe and got a duvet which he threw over the armchair and footstool. Then, he took his pillow from their bed and slowly walked to the armchair. When he looked around, there she was, undressing while staring at him provocatively.

"I've always slept naked, I hope you don't mind."

He swallowed hard. For a second, he forgot all about it and could only see Rogue, his woman, naked in front of him. And he immediately wanted to have her. But as fast as it came, it went. She was like a twin sister of hers, he looked at her, saw her but knew it wasn't her. There was definitely more to their love than mere carnal passion.

He exhaled slowly and started moving around the chair, trying to find a comfortable position to be in. Then, snap! He had an idea! He would charm her! Easy peasy! Of course, he could do that. And it was for a good cause. He stood up, walked to the bed, and sat by her side. She looked at him a bit confused.

'Did you have a last-minute change of mind?' she asked him wryly.

Trying to chat up with Carol, he started talking to her about any stupid thing that popped up in his mind. He even apologized to her for his ways earlier and proceeded to ask her to tell him all about her, trying to sound as sympathetic to her side of the story as possible.

Conversation flowed easily. She was an impressively articulate woman. As they talked, he managed to disarm her with his charm. She was talking to him without that hint of hate she gave to his belle's voice. She talked to him about her life, her career, she even mentioned some lovers she had, her aspirations for the future… Inevitably she had to refer to the fact that Rogue had stolen all that from her.

In a move to change the subject, he started telling her about his very own unusual life, his misfortunes, and achievements as a thief.

"No wonder you fell for the bad girl. You are a bad boy yourself, huh?" She commented.

"She's not a bad girl, mon ami. You don't know her, she has the heart of gold. She was innocent and lost when she did what she did to you. Mystique, her adoptive mother, was pulling her strings. You know Mystique, you should know she's capable of that and worse. Ma belle was used by her own mother. She didn't know any better. But, back to what you said, I guess I fell for her because she's got everything I lack, and that way she completes me."

"She's lucky, that rascal. You seem to love her truly." She spoke condescendingly.

"I do. That's why I would love to have her back with me here right now." That was the cue he was hoping for: her sympathy and compassion towards him. She was so ready to be charmed into doing what he wanted.

"It would be nice, wouldn't it?" She said.

"I think that would be the right thing to do right now. And I know for sure you're a woman who likes to do what is right. Why don't you prove yourself and give me the chance to kiss ma belle femme a good night kiss?"

"Yes, that's the right thing to do. Goodbye, Gambit. I'll see you tomorrow." She agreed.

Her eyelashes fluttered for a few seconds to be finally opened seconds later. The shining was back to her beautiful green eyes.

"Remy! Why are you looking at me like that, sugar?"

"Chère, you are back! I guess we have to find your collar and put it back on. I want to kiss you." He knew it had to be somewhere in the bathroom. After fetching it, he handed it to her. Once she had her powers off again, he hugged her tightly while planting little sweet kisses on her neck. She giggled.

"What is it, sugar? Why are you doing that? Oh, wait! I remember now. She was dominating my body, wasn't she?"

"Oui, chère. That's what happened."

"And apparently, she can control my powers, can't she?"

"Oui, she most definitely can."

"That only proves it's not some physiological thing, control could be reached. I'm just too weak to achieve it." She spoke sadly.

"Shhhh. Don't say that, ma princesse."

"So did she just give up my body? Just like that? I thought once she took me over I'd never been able to flip back."

"Gambit here can't live without you, mon ange." Smiling at her, he added. "I charmed her. I tricked her into giving you back to me."

"You swamp rat! You're a very naughty boy." Never had he been more thrilled to have her calling him a swamp rat. He always kind of liked it, but now he liked it more because that meant his chère was back. Definitely back, at least for now.

She kissed him full on his mouth. His response was an eager hold, he pushed her tighter into their embrace. She cupped his face with her hands lovingly and their tongues finally became involved in their never-ending kiss. Their breathing quickly grew heavier. His hands trailed along her back, finally grabbing her ass, his fingertips digging deeper into her flesh.

She came closer to him as he pushed her to him and locked her pretty legs around his hips. Fiddling with his hair, she continued leading the kiss. He groaned as she moaned lightly. Breaking their kiss, she arched her back, allowing him to kiss her neck. He was licking her up and down when a thought crossed his mind. So, abruptly, he cut the action short.

"Chère, you know how hard this is for me, but, the professor said you had to rest well for tomorrow." Reluctantly, he pushed her body away a bit.

"You're right, sugar. We'd better go to sleep." She said, but then she looked at his lips and pursed her own instinctively. Looking at him that way wouldn't make things any easier for them. He stared at her pursed lips for a while and licked his lips without even thinking and after moments of hesitation, he lunged at her, kissing her desperately. She had to gasp for air. Oh boy, did he take her breath away! When their lips parted for a moment, she said.

"Well, maybe we can go to sleep, right after that. It would be a waste of time to get up and put on my pajamas when it seems Ms. Danvers left me here all ready to go… and, after all, now it's my turn to finish what we had started earlier." She smiled seductively at him.

He knew the right thing to do was to use whatever little time he had with her to tell her about Bella Donna, but he simply couldn't help succumbing to her delicious moves.

X X X X

"Good morning, hottie."

'Oh no! Not again!' He thought in despair. He had been sure he went to bed with his belle, she was as sweet as ever, they kissed good night and snuggled up the way they always did. He remembered drifting into sleep in such a happy mood, as glad as he was that he managed to bring Rogue back to him. All that joy only to wake up the following morning with the annoyingly righteous superhero Carol Danvers by his side.

Just then, Charles Xavier invaded his mind with a message.

'Gambit, I'm going to San Francisco with Storm to check on Carol's body now. Before anything, I have to evaluate the state of her mind. As soon as the evaluation is done and we can proceed, I'll let you know, then you can come with Rogue. I don't want to put her through the strain of the flight before her presence is really necessary. Also, I trust you have been able to charm Ms. Danvers so you can probably do it again until I come back. I believe you should be fine with her for a few more days.'

'Days, professor?' he protested.

'Goodbye, Gambit. We'll be in touch.' And with that, he ended their mental communication.

Now that was simply great! He just couldn't believe he would have to switch Rogue on and off for a few days… Days? He really hoped that by days the professor meant only a couple of them. He only hoped Ms. Marvel, as strong-minded as she was, didn't develop some sort of resistance to his powers.

'Ma belle is so parfait yet so complicated…' he thought to himself before charming Ms. Marvel one more time. After a brief conversation with Carol, Rogue was back again.

"Hello, sugar. Thanks for turning me back on." She joked.

"It's only fair I do that for you now, since you turn me on all the time." He replied and winked at her. They kissed tenderly.

Not long later, they went down for breakfast and met Colossus, Wolverine, and Kitty at the kitchen table.

"Rogue, you don't have to eat everything that's on the table, you know?" Logan teased.

"Shut up, Logan. I'm eating for three!"

"Three? The way you are eating, it looks as if you are eating for a whole army of hungry men."

"Fuck you, Logan!" She said and stuck her tongue out.

"So, Gambit, I've heard you got a two for one deal." Wolverine said, Rogue couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Not funny, Wolvie. Not funny." He said without looking at him.

"Since when have you lost your sense of humor, Gumbo?"

"It's just that we are having a hard time with all this." He had his gaze lowered, his attention turned to the pancakes he was making for Rogue and himself.

"Rogue, how are the babies?" Kitty asked.

"Oh, they are just fine. I've been seeing Beast regularly and next week I'll see them on TV again." She caressed her belly, smiled at the girl, and then added. "Well, either Carol Danvers or I will see them."

Everyone laughed but Gambit. Rogue sighed heavily, she wanted to lift his mood. She could only imagine how hard he was taking all this. In her heart, she felt confident there would be a way out of this situation. She trusted Xavier with that. However, the same couldn't be said about her Remy. She could feel his apprehensiveness. He seemed a bit nervous and distracted that morning.

"So what are you guys doing after breakfast?" Rogue asked.

"Kitty and I will watch some combat recordings from the danger room yesterday and will analyze them for flaws and stuff," Piotr replied.

"Hey, that's cool! Can I join you?"

"Of course, you can, Rogue. Your expertise would be much appreciated." Kitty said.

"Not that fast, kids. Rogue and I have something else to do this morning."

"Oh, Gambit! That's not cool! Come on, you guys! There are other things to do in life rather than make-out nonstop!" Kitty complained.

"Non, petite. I wish that was what I had to do! It's not that. Rogue and I, we have to talk." Noticing her confused stare at him, he went on. "It's serious, chère, and it can't wait." Rogue frowned at him. Whatever he had to tell her, it didn't seem it would be pleasant.

"Gaaaaaambit! Gaaaaambit!" Jubilee ran into the room screaming her lungs out.

"For fuck's sake, Jubilee! What is it?" Logan asked not bothering to hide his annoyance.

You could see the girl was not expecting to find Gambit in the company of others. Disappointment exuded from the expression on her face. Looking around, she saw Rogue and looked at her with a panic-stricken face. She hesitated for a while, then finally said.

"Gambit, there's a blond woman here. She… she says.. she says she's your wife!"

Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Oh fuck! Jubilee why are you always the carrier of bad news, girl?" Logan said.

X


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Lights! Camera! Action!

A second of silence that seemed like an eternity passed by. All expectant eyes turned to Rogue. How would she react to such unexpected news? Fear and alarm were stamped on Remy's face.

She was in complete shock. She felt like she had to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the word 'wife' bounced around inside her skull. As shining tears flooded her olive-green eyes, she stared at Gambit with pleading eyes asking a silent 'why'.

"Chère, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He spoke in a small embarrassed voice.

She let her head down, finally letting loose all the pain and agony by permitting hot tears to stream down her face. The realization hit her, she was expecting children with a married man. Her light sobbing was like a dagger tearing his heart apart. With trembling lips, she finally managed to say something.

"Remy, you should've told me. I'm carrying your babies! I'm pregnant by a married man!"

None of the people in the room dared to say anything. They were all feeling sorry for the situation and hoping for the best outcome possible. If only Gambit had opened up to all of them… What was the point in keeping so many secrets?

This was just one of many things they didn't know about their teammate. But how many things did Rogue not know about him? How could he keep that information from the one woman he claimed to love with all his heart?

He had had the chance to tell her about it so many times. There were various occasions when they spent the night talking about all sorts of things. So many times he told her about the guild, his childhood, and his family.

Why hasn't he told her? The answer is quite simple, in fact. For sheer fear, fear that she wouldn't accept his past and the fact he'd never divorced the woman he was forced to marry. Above all, he was afraid of being rejected once again.

Every little thing he did or didn't do was based on the fact he loved Rogue deeply. In fact, he loved her so badly that sometimes cowardice would take him over. He was too afraid of losing her, the best thing that ever happened to him.

He walked towards her and stopped close to her. Close enough to feel sadness emanating from her but not too close that he would invade her personal space. As she was still sitting on the chair, he kneeled right next to her in such a way that he had to look up to meet her eyes. Taking her hands in his, he spoke softly.

"Chère, I'm sorry. Tu est ma reine, my queen of everything. It's not like that. I've lived here for years now. It's not like I'm married, like really married. Please say you forgive me, chère. I just… I wanted to protect you. I didn't want to upset you with that and …" he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the woman who still wore his ring.

"Oh, there you are, Remy. Don't tell me you are proposing to your new fling." The blond woman said sneering.

There she was, Bella Donna Boudreaux, the daughter of the leader of the New Orleans Assassins' Guild, ready and determined to get her man back, one way or the other. The blue-eyed blond woman looked at them with fury firing from her eyes. Seeing her, Gambit let go of Rogue's hands and stood up to face his wife.

"So is this your new _petite_ , Remy? This freak with white-streaked hair? I know you can do better than that."

"Who are you calling a freak?" Rogue stood up abruptly knocking down the hair she had been sitting on and, consequently, causing everyone to jump. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowning, she pouted a little.

"Oh, how lovely we can already see he's knocked you up. Did you trick him into that, bitch? So that he would be with you? Such a ridiculous feeble attempt, 'cause you know what? He's already mine, can't be anyone else's, you see." She said showing proudly the wedding band on her finger.

"Too bad I didn't see any ring of yours on his finger, sugar. There was no car in that parking space, sugar, so I just went and parked mine." Rogue snapped back at her rival with a mocking smile on her face.

"You stupid bitch!" She pointed her finger at Rogue. If she were any wiser, she wouldn't have done that as it only fired her up even more. And it was not a very good idea to make Rogue that upset.

"I'm no bitch, sugar. Remy here is my one and only lover." She flashed a lopsided smile.

"I'm going to wipe that smile out of your face!"

"I'd like to see you try." Rogue's audacity made the blond woman let out a snarl before speaking again.

"Do you know how many times Remy here loved me? How we've known each other since we were children? You've got no idea how special we are for each other or how similar we are in every single way. He went down the aisle for me, would he do it for you? I don't think so. Especially because, well, you know, he's already married."

Then Rogue remembered the scene she'd seen on her head some time ago. So it was his memory! She remembered walking down the aisle, then having a blond woman smiling at her, the wedding vows. But what had stricken her as she saw that memory was how angrily the person whose memory she'd absorbed was staring at an old man, his father. Suddenly she knew it! He didn't choose to marry that woman, they made him do it.

Considering everything he had told her about the Guild's antics, it wasn't hard to imagine them doing that to him. That's all she needed to know, the rest he could tell her later. Besides, she knew just how much he loved her and that was all that mattered.

His past was his past, nothing could be done about it, their future together, that's what's important. Feeling reinvigorated and determined at those thoughts, she decided she wouldn't be fighting with the man she loved over that bimbo of a wife of his.

As for that petulant woman who dared to break into the place they called home, well, she couldn't say the same…

"Mmm. Let me see… Did he really do it voluntarily? Out of his own free will? Proposed to you because he felt he just couldn't spend another day away from you?"

"What are you trying to imply, you slut?"

"Nothing, just saying… but seeing how disturbed you are by my suggestion, maybe you know Remy didn't do it because he felt like spending the rest of his life with you."

"Of course he did! You are feeling all confident because he impregnated you, aren't you? You should know that this Cajun boy is unscrupulous and cold-hearted, just like me, he'll leave your sorry ass with your baby before you know. All that's needed is something better on offer, and that's exactly why I am here."

"Well, if he was that cold with you to the point that it makes you think he is capable of such a thing, well, I'm sorry for you, sugar. Because my Remy, the Remy I know and love, is the sweetest and most caring guy I've ever met." She spat back at the intruder. Looking around, her eyes met his. He smiled sadly at her for he longed so much for her not to be in such a situation.

Watching in amusement the change of Rogue's mood with the rest of the people in the room, deep inside he felt proud of her. She was a tough girl and barely needed him for anything, but even so, he had to interfere.

"Girls, you don't need to fight. As much as Wolvie seems to be thrilled at the possibility of a girl fight, I guess we can talk this, can't we ladies?" Wolverine was holding his cell phone, possibly setting it up to make a video of the fight, if there happened to be one.

"Talk, Remy darling? Are you kidding me, sugar? I've got no business talking to this crazy woman who's holding onto vows of an arranged wedding after years and years since you've left her behind."

"You bitch. You crazy bitch!" Bella Donna shouted as her hands flew madly in the air as she tried to grab Rogue's hair. But before Bella did grab her by the hair, Rogue pushed her away. "How dare you, you hussy!"

"Don't you ever call me names! You don't know me!" Rogue slapped the assassin's face when Belladonna tried to tackle her again unsuccessfully.

"What did you just do, you freak?" As if to answer Donna's question, Rogue slapped her face again. Then there was a ridiculous sequence of air slapping as two women tried to hit one another.

"Girl fight!" Wolvie shouted and then pressed his communicator and buzzed Cyclops.

"Man, you gotta come here! You gotta see this!"

Bella Donna lunged at her husband's girlfriend and struggled against Rogue, shooting her right leg out but her movements were far too slow. Hands moving from her waist, the stranger seized her arms, trapping them to her side. Rogue pushed her roughly away from her, the agile gesture causing Belladonna to stumble almost falling flat on her face.

"Don't you try to hurt me, you swamp witch! I'm pregnant, for heaven's sake!"

"Mon ange! Calm down!" He said as he hugged her from behind and gave her little kisses on the back of her neck, all the while looking to Bella Donna to check she was okay and was not going to return Rogue's latest demonstration of affection. "Shush now. Calm down, chère. You are too agitated. This is not good for you or the babies, you know?"

"Remy, are you compensating her for hitting me? Are you out of your mind?"

Rogue ignored the woman and turned around, facing her beloved. She threw her arms around him. Resting her head on his shoulder, her facial expression softened.

"Why, sugar? Why didn't you tell me all about it at once?" She asked him softly.

"Chère, it's so complicated. We got married because of the guilds, you know? To unite the assassins' and the thieves' guilds. It was not like I had much say on it. We were childhood friends, sweethearts. But now that I know selfless love, I know I never loved her like a husband should love his wife, and not nearly as much as I love you."

"Ha! I knew you didn't love that swamp witch!" Rogue kissed him sweetly.

"Seducer, get away from my husband."

"Your husband? He hasn't acted like your husband in a very long time, I guess. Because I've known him for quite a while now and he's never mentioned you, so…"

"Bella, why are you here? Why? Why after all these years?" Remy LeBeau asked his estranged wife.

"Don't you see, Remy? You don't belong here. You have to stop playing the righteous X-Men and come back to New Orleans, come back to the guild, come back to me. This is not your world, New Orleans is. I came to stop you before you could do anything stupid, like playing daddy with this skank. Remy, the thieves' guild is your responsibility. You have to come back to me, to help me, to be with me."

"Gambit won't be your lapdog." Rogue shouted.

"Mon Dieu! There's no way we can talk until you girls calm down." He sighed deeply. Annoyed he shouted at Wolverine. "Logan, would you stop making this fucking video? Give me your cell phone here…"

"Sorry, Gumbo." Logan said. "Well, I guess we'd better beat it." He said looking at Kitty and Colossus. "Let's leave them three to solve their family affairs in peace."

Just then, Cyclops showed up and frowned when he saw that unknown woman. He stared at the woman he hadn't been introduced to with curiosity. She had to be the cause of whatever disturbance that got Wolverine so excited.

"What is it, Logan? I came as soon as I could. I was helping Jean choose the stuff for the wedding."

"Well, you're late, pretty boy. Party's over. We're leaving and you are, too."

"Ok, then. But tell me, what was it?" He said as he followed Logan out of the room.

"Merci, mon ami." Remy said to Logan as he watched them all leave the room. Rogue turned on her heel and slowly joined them.

"Chère, where are you going?"

"Sugar, I trust you. You don't need to worry about me. You gotta do what you gotta do. I'll be in our room if you want to find me later."

She remembered what Logan had once told her. If you love someone, you gotta let them free. She loved that man more than anything and she was letting him free to do what he had to. Whatever he had to do or say to the woman, she'd fully support him in his decisions. Besides, she was positively sure he was not going anywhere with the evil assassin. Her heart was his home.

"Chère, I love you." He said as he watched her leaving with the others.

She looked over her shoulders and said. "I know, sugar. I love you too."

Bella Donna rolled her eyes at the romantic scene. "Oh, pleeease!"

When they were left alone, Remy pulled out a chair motioning for her to take a seat.

"Always the gentleman." She said as she walked hesitantly to the chair.

He pulled out a chair for himself and sat down.

"Bella, listen up. I can't be the man you want me to be. I'm not leaving the X-Men and even if I were, I'd never leave her."

"You can't be serious, Remy. What about us? Your family?"

"I don't want to lead the guild. I'm sick of the never-ending fights between the guilds. Also, I'd like to believe I have the right to be someone better than the guild made me."

"Is this all because of that mutie?"

"The girl you just met, she's my family now. She's my everything. _Elle est ma vie_."

"You must be under some sort of spell… What's that freak mutant's power?"

" _Bon, c'est_ nothing that could remotely have drawn me to her if that's what you're thinking. On the contrary, in fact, her powers are what could have kept me away. She can't touch people, she absorbs the life, powers, abilities, and memories out of anyone just by touching them."

"So how can you love her? How did you knock her up?"

"Now that is a long story… You don't need to know."

"Whatever! I don't give a damn! But, are you really serious? You're not coming back, Remy? I came here for you. Will you just send me away like an unwanted present?"

"Bella, je ne t'aime pas. Is it that hard for you to understand? Don't you think you deserved someone better than me? Someone who will reciprocate your feelings?"

"Remy, all these years, ten years, I've waited for you to come back. Don't do this to me!"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Bel. That's it! It's over! There's nothing I can tell you to make this easy on you. What I feel won't change."

"Remy…"

"What you want from me is unreal, you have false expectations. I could never go back to being the Remy you met. I am a new man."

"What am I supposed to do without you, Remy?" she said with a bitter tone of voice.

"I want you to get cured from this person who advises you. Try and see through this point of view, there are so many special people in this world. You'll find someone else, I'm sure. I know this must be hard for you because you always got what you wanted, but not this time, chère. By the way, I won't let my mistake stand in my way any longer. I'll file for divorce."

"Remy! You'll regret this! I'm telling you! We can still fix it."

"Bella, I'm afraid I have nothing left to say to you. You don't listen to me, you keep insisting on something we both know just can't be. You are a skilled assassin. Breaking into and out of places is one of your too many specialties, I'm sure you'll find your way out." He said as he stood up. She was frozen, simply couldn't make a move.

"Goodbye, Bels… and good luck." He said without looking back at her while he was leaving his future ex-wife behind.

She remained alone in the kitchen for a few minutes shedding angry tears before managing to stand up and leave. Oh, but no before trashing Rogue's car in the garage. Something about a red t-shirt with the sayings 'Cajun boys do it better' carelessly left on the back seat told her that car could only be hers.

X X X X

In thinking of him, there was a steady sense of love, a feeling of belonging, an enduring hope that whatever he needed to address with his ex-wife would bring him peace and comfort. She sat cross-legged on their bed, staring at the wall, idly letting the time pass her by, trying not to get anxious or nervous about the outcome of his conversation with his childhood sweetheart.

She pictured him inside her head, she could see him with a huge smile directed at her. From that huge honest smile, well reserved only for her benefit, came an affirmation each day, that their love was real. It didn't matter the miles or obstacles between them.

"Sugar! How was it? How did it go?" She jumped out of bed when she saw the doorknob moving.

"Guess she didn't take it too well. I didn't wait for her to come to terms with it, I just left her to find her way out. Just couldn't stand her pleading and accusations for long. _Et tu? Comment ça va_?"

"I'm fine, sugar. I was a bit upset when I first heard about it, you know, but it was the shock. I mean, I could never have imagined it in a million years. In my humble opinion, you don't seem to be the marrying kind." She joked.

"Well, I could be, if you asked me to." He smirked at her.

She laughed hard at that. "Are you asking me to ask you to marry me? Sugar, you're funny."

"Not being funny, chère! If you persuaded me the right way…"

"Oh, come on, sugar. Please don't go back to being the cynic bastard who enjoyed teasing me." She said in between giggles.

"You're laughing at me, are you, chère? Wanna bet? I can make you laugh even harder than this!"

"Can you? I doubt it." She challenged him with a huge smile. He then started tickling her which made her laugh out loud probably in such a way that the whole mansion could hear, letting everyone know they were going to be just fine.

X X X X

Hand in hand, Jean and Cyclops walked through the corridor towards their own room. He had just told her about Remy's marital status and what had happened earlier, being faithful to Logan's account of the scene.

"Oh, God! I hope those two won't start fighting again. I'd hate to see Rogue and Gambit sulking, broken hearted all over again." Jean said.

It was then that they heard hysterical laughs coming from the room right opposite theirs.

"Well, honey, something tells me you have nothing to worry about," Scott told his bride to be. They both laughed at that.

Just as Jean opened their room, Cyclops' phone rings.

"Cyclops, I need you to prepare the jet to come to San Francisco. I'm here with Storm and Carol Danvers… I mean, Carol Danvers' body. I tried calling Gambit but he's not picking it up. Can you bring him and Rogue?"

"Of course, professor. We'll be there as soon as possible."

Notes:

I watched the episode X-ternally Yours again to write this chapter. It's the episode of the 90s animated series that shows Gambit's story and Bella Donna. The 'I knew you didn't love that swamp witch." and "Gambit won't be your lapdog" are actual lines of Rogue's in the episode.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – As Time Goes By

The next morning Rogue was flown to San Francisco to give Ms. Marvel what she owed her. Her life back! It was morally the right thing to do. She didn't want to know if the procedure was completely safe or not. Risks or no risks, she wanted to correct more mistake more than anything in this world.

There was not much in common between Carol and Rogue but determination. Over the years, it was hard to tell if what Rogue grew up to be was because of her own persona or if her hero persona was actually influenced by the blond bright woman. That was the first time Rogue would actually see the woman after the life-changing incident between them when Rogue took much more from Carol than she had ever imagined possible. Captain Marvel was left like an empty shell after their confrontation back when Rogue herself was only a teenager and a terrorist commanded by her stepmother.

"I knew you would be back. I knew it would be alright, sugar." She said, relieved.

"I have to admit I was not that confident this would work, but I am glad to be myself again."

"You know what? It turns out you are not that hateful as I'd imagined."

"I can say the same to you. I'm sure I must have hated you while I was inside your mind, but that was more a reflection of myself when you absorbed me. We were hardly having a good time together when that happened, were we? More like trying to get rid of one another."

"Yeah, and for that, I'm really sorry. I know I can't take back the years I took from your life. So, if you hate me, I'll accept that. I've earned it. But I regret what I've done and have repented for all my actions. I mean, I guess Professor Xavier must have told you all about it, but we never had the chance to look at each other in the eye and talk, so… I was misguided, immature, and lost… I did what she told me to do and… I'm sorry, I am really, really sorry."

"You know what, Rogue? That's ok. I forgive you. I guess when I was inside of you some good part of me must have got lost somewhere and for that reason, I only sought revenge, but now that I'm in one piece inside my own body again, I guess I've got a better perspective of things, you know?"

"At least now you don't have to be inside my head with God knows how many other voices in my head. It's not easy, I know, only too well…"

"Yeah, I must have gotten carried away by all the hatred most of those memories carried in them."

"I fully understand you. It takes a lot of effort to deal with them. Professor X has trained me well to block lots of those memories and bad thoughts. I could even block you for a fair amount of time, but well, you know how powerful you are." She paused as a thought crossed her mind. "Ms. Marvel, I've heard that when you were in my body, you could control my powers and touch anyone as you pleased. How did you do that?"

"Rogue, dear, it's all in your head, you have to use your will power. It works the more you practice, it's just like stretching a muscle, I thought of it and I did it. You have to want it. That's all!"

"Don't you think I've tried a million times? Do you really believe I don't want to touch my Remy with all my heart? I do! I don't believe I could use any more of my will power to do anything else in this world!"

"Well, don't give up hope. You've got to keep trying. It's not your body, your skin is not venomous or anything like that. It's your mutant power and everyone should be able to control their powers."

Hearing the long-feared truth made Rogue shed silent tears of hopelessness and disappointment.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, it's not physiological. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to touch anyone without the collar. So then, I guess I'm just weak. I'm a stupid, dumb idiot who can't do something teenagers at the school already know how to… In a year or so, most of them master almost full control of their powers. But oh, not me! I can't do the most basic thing which is to choose when to use my powers…"

"Don't be so harsh on yourself. Maybe when you give yourself a break, things will work out for you."

"Well, yeah, maybe. Thanks for answering my question."

"And Rogue, sorry about Gambit. I mean, you know, when I was in you, I tried to seduce him and I even took control of your body when you two were, you know…"

"Well, that will take a little bit more of time for me to forget… Maybe we can sort this out some other time. We'll always have the Golden Gate Bridge." They both laughed.

"You've got there a great man. He truly loves you."

"I know. And I love him too, with all my heart."

Professor Xavier knocked on the door. Being told to come in, he did so, accompanied by Beast who had flown in earlier that morning. Before they considered that mission accomplished, he wanted to check for one last time each persona was in their right body.

Both Beast and Charles started interrogating the two women separately and then together until they were happy at the results achieved. The transfer couldn't have been more successful. Carol Danvers was herself again and Rogue, well, Rogue was the puzzle she had grown used to be. She was herself with other people's memories that were being well kept under control with mental walls the Professor and she had worked together to build all those years ago.

The procedure that had taken place the day before was not quite that simple for it took Professor Xavier a whole day to do it, even though he had Jean's help. Without which, he would probably not have been able to succeed. While he worked in one of the woman's mind, she stabilized the other one's mind.

Some of Carol Danvers' abilities left Rogue after the persona transfer was finished. She no longer possessed her endurance, reflexes, and a seventh sense that allowed her to react instinctively to danger and home in on specified objects. She retained the ability to fly and some of her superhuman strength. The latter was not the same as before, but she was still stronger than any human.

On the other hand, Ms. Marvel's powers were all back on. She could do everything she could before the incident. Although she agreed to stay in the hospital for another day or two just as a precaution, apparently, she had fully recovered from her long suffered coma with any long-lasting complications.

After the transfer, Rogue stayed in observation for that night too. She had been sedated the whole time and despite the fact, Remy had spent the whole night beside her bed, when morning came and she finally came to her senses, she felt like she hadn't been with him in ages, somehow she missed him greatly.

She looked at him fast asleep in an armchair near her bed and sighed deeply. Oh, the sight of him! Sleeping like an angel… Would she ever get enough of looking at him?

Not daring to disturb his sleep, she remained silent, watching him for a little longer, admiring the peaceful look on his perfectly sculpted face.

Her contemplation was short-lived though. Beast came in, smiled at her when he realized she was awake. She smiled back at him and placed her index finger over her lips so Beast wouldn't wake up her lover.

Her blue-furred friend took her to Carol's room to have the final checks performed. Once again, she didn't have the chance to speak to Remy. She grew impatient as the questioning went on and on and simply couldn't hide her relief when two hours later, Beast declared she had been cleared and was ready to be discharged.

"Dear Rogue, I believe you no longer need our assistance. You may go now. I guess, by now, your other half must be waiting for you outside." He winked at her.

She kissed her doctor's forehead, waved goodbye at Carol and Charles, skipped her way out of the room, hurrying the best way she could to meet Remy. Catching the sight of him at end of the corridor, her heart thumped fast and happily. He looked like a million dollars to her. All that handsomeness and that delicious swagger of his made her weak on her knees just by catching a glimpse of him coming her way. His usually playful smile was gloriously on show for her benefit.

"Sugar!" she shouted as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Mon amour!" he replied feeling his body melt under her sweet embrace. "So they finally let you go, huh? Tu vas been?"

"I'm fine, sugar. In fact, I'm much better than before now that I know she won't take my body over again. And best of all, we have solved our issues. She said she forgave me." She declared with a huge smile escaping her lips as she spoke. Remy LeBeau couldn't help mirroring her smile in return. All he wanted was to see that sweet lady of his happy.

"That's excellent, chère. C'est magnifique!" He pressed her tighter against him while kissing her lips repeatedly. "I think this calls for a celebration."

"Really? What do you think we should do?" She asked him enthusiastically.

"Why don't we catch the first plane just the two of us and head to Paris? You know, so that we can have our last vacation before the babies?" He smirked.

"Paris? As in Eiffel Tower Paris? You swamp rat! You can't possibly be suggesting that! Knock it off! I mean, really, what can we do to celebrate?"

"I'm dead serious, chère! Instead of flying home, we fly to Paris. What do you say?" He assured her putting on a serious face.

"Oh, you can't be serious."

"I am. I say we just let Cyclops know right now and then we can get going."

"You mean we are going to Paris now, as in right now? It's not like I was expecting this. I haven't packed properly."

"Why not now, chère? There's nothing you'll need that we can get in the airport or in Paris…" She shook her head incredulously and smiled at him.

"I can't believe it I'm going to agree to go with your idea. That's one of the many reasons why I love you, sugar. You never fail to surprise me, no matter how long I've known you or how long we've been together. I wonder if I'll ever get used to your ways."

"I hope not, mon ange." He kissed her forehead tenderly. She took his hands in hers and squeezed them a little.

Looking up at him, she gazed into his stunning red eyes, feeling the flame of them lit her up inside. Smiling at him, she grabbed his chin softly, bringing his lips slowly down to find her own.

They locked into a sweet never-ending kiss. When they did finally pull away, he whispered 'I love you' in her ear. Her whole body trembled at that.

"We had vacationed together before but this would be also our first vacation as a real couple." She smiled widely at him, a realization she was indeed going to Paris with the love of her life finally dawning upon her.

"Sounds good, doesn't it?" And with that, he took her hands and allowed him to lead her out of the hospital.

X X X X

Their trip to Paris had been lovely. They went to all the touristic places, spent whole afternoons at the Trocadero, lazily sitting on a bench, getting up for a crèpe now and then and taking hundreds of pictures with the Eiffel Tower behind them.

Those lovely days would be remembered in their hearts forever.

Three months passed by as smoothly as they possibly could. Remy tried his very best to be the best supporting partner he could be in dealing with the pregnancy. He gave her backrubs and massages before they went to sleep. He also made sure they explored new positions that were both comfortable and exciting when her sex drive went into overdrive, and that was like all times do the day. Life was good, it was great indeed.

As for the X-Men, there had been other missions, other fights to fight, but all in all, it all came down to the same old problem: how to achieve peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans.

Being apart was Hell on Earth for both of them, but it was necessary. The bottom line was they were fighting for a better future for their kids. Every time, it was heartbreaking saying goodbye to each other.

"Chère, don't you worry. I'll be home soon."

"I'll miss you so much, sugar."

"Je sais. Me too. You make Gambit feel something he's never felt before."

"What is it, sugar?"

'Man, after the rollercoaster of emotions they've been through, what could it possibly be?' she thought.

"You make Gambit feel very afraid of dying. Gambit fears death, chère. Because of you."

"Don't you even say that, love!" She put a finger on his lips. Holding her finger carefully and pulling it away, he continued.

"It's a risk every time, isn't it, ma princesse?" He lifted his eyebrows as he spoke with a serious face. She swallowed hard.

Because of his ever-growing anxiety, he decided he had to come to terms with that feeling, otherwise, that could jeopardize his performance during missions. So, finally, he decided to put down to words how much he felt for her and their babies. Writing that letter for his unborn children liberated him from the dread of never coming back to her. One night before going away on some other mission, he gave it to her for safekeeping.

"Don't open it, chère. I gave a copy of this to Storm too. This is a letter for our babies, in case, you know, something were to happen to me."

"Remy, why? Nothing's ever going to happen to you, sugar." She shook her head warily.

"We can't be sure, now can we? I don't want to risk my babies not hearing from their father at least once. They have to know how much their father wanted them, how much I've always loved them."

There was no point in arguing with him. She knew that somehow this letter made him feel more relaxed about the whole mission thing, and so she just went along with it. At first, she didn't take that gesture too seriously, but with time, she grew fond of the letter and would take it with her wherever she went like a talisman. And, keeping her promise, she never opened it.

Rogue was now almost eight months pregnant and sported a huge belly which called everyone's attention when they were out and about.

Gambit and Rogue were glowing in happiness as the birth of their children approached. The couple was adorable and the way he treated her as if she were a delicate flower whose petals would fall off should he be less than carefully made people sigh at the sight of the two of them.

He loved feeling the babies move inside of her. He would talk to them as he caressed her stomach. Countless nights, she dozed off while he did so. At times, he'd even sing to them surely making Rogue laugh out loud.

They were now one week away from Jean and Cyclop's wedding. The mansion was buzzing with excitement. They didn't seem like X-Men at all, in fact. Training sessions were not being carried out in their regular schedule, as all attention was turned to the upcoming ceremony which would take place right there in the mansion. That was just what Gambit needed to get Rogue distracted enough so that she wouldn't miss him too much while he went to the mall to get her ring. He decided he was going to propose anytime soon, as soon as the mood presented itself.

The girls were gathered in Jean's room. They had used the place in recent weeks as if it were a mission's base. Jean was wearing her gorgeous white wedding gown for the final adjustments.

"You look stunning, Jean." Kitty commented.

"You do! But I guess we can make this gorgeous fabric cling to your body a bit more." Storm spoke carefully as not to let the needles she had in the corner of her mouth fall.

"I agree. She has perfect body shape, might as well make the most of it." Jubilee offered her opinion.

"Rogue? What about you? What do you think?" Jean asked.

Rogue was looking at Jean but not really seeing her. She was immersed in thoughts as she felt the twins moving in her belly. 'How is a watermelon going to go through that same space that currently can only hold a cucumber inside?'

"Rogue?" Jean insisted.

"Ahn? What? Sorry… I was distracted… babies are swimming around. I was thinking about... well, never mind. What were you girls saying?"

"Ohhhhhhh, and you didn't tell us? Would you let me feel them?" Jubilee pleaded. She loved pregnant Rogue to die for. As Anna Marie did let her put her hands on her belly to feel the babies, the teenage girl smiled broadly.

"Ohhhhh, that's so cute! How come you still don't know if they are boys or girls?"

"Hmmm, the doctor says he couldn't really see it for sure. It's very tight in there with the two of them and now, I just don't want to know. I quite like the idea of a surprise."

"Hey Jubilee. That's enough, my turn now, isn't it Rogue?" Kitty asked.

They all heard a knock on the door. Jean, who had been nervous all that week, started biting her nails.

"Oh, God! It can't be Cyclops! It's bad luck if he sees you in the dress before the wedding. Who is it?" Storm asked.

"It's just Remy." Jean said matter-of-factly.

"Jubilee, would you stop bugging Rogue and go open the door?" Storm asked.

"No need, mon ami. I just opened it myself."

"But it was locked!" Jean said.

"You gotta be kidding me. This door is an insult to my skills. Do you really think that Gambit, prince of the Thieves Guild, wouldn't be able to open it?" Jean let an annoyed low growl. Gambit's arrogance infuriated her.

"You girls can't get enough of our babies, huh? Now, can you please let me have a word with ma reine?"

She was going to stand up when he kneeled down in front of her.

"Chère, no need to get all worked up for me. I just popped in quickly to tell you I'm going to the mall now with Storm, and you don't need to come if you don't want to. You can just stay here and rest."

"With me?" Storm turned to him looking a bit surprised at the news. He looked at Storm over his shoulder and gave her an evil stare in such a way that she promptly understood what this could only be about.

"Well, yes, with me. We have to pick something up for… well… for Scott. The groom also has his needs." The weather queen was obviously not a very good liar.

"Oh, I want to go too! Why can't I go?" She asked him frowning and pouting.

"I didn't say you couldn't go, chère." If there was one thing Remy couldn't bring himself to do was doing anything that he knew could remotely upset his belle. "It's just that in your condition, it would be better if you didn't get tired for no good reason. That's all."

Bad move, Mr. Le Beau. Nothing could annoy her more than being treated differently because she was pregnant.

"Condition? What condition? Remy, sugar, I'm pregnant, I'm not sick!"

"OK, chère. I didn't mean it that way, I just.." Oh, sometimes he wished he would just go and charm her to have things his way for a change. But he just couldn't and wouldn't do that to her. He sighed and resigned when she crossed her arms on top of her bump and gave him that look of disapproval.

"I'd be more than happy to take you with us, chére."

Storm and Remy exchanged glances at each other that made words unnecessary. How would they distract her so they could go and pick a ring?

X X X X

Thirty minutes in the mall and they hadn't managed to get Rogue out of the way. But their luck was about to change when they walked past a baby store.

"Oh, I needed to get things for the babies' room. And this store has the cutest things! I guess I could spend some time here choosing stuff. There are just a few things I still need to be done with the decoration of the room."

"Do you want us to give you some time, chère?" Remy suggested.

"Well, you guys could come with us." She said innocently. It would take Remy a bit more effort to say he wouldn't go with her, she'd just said 'us'. The babies were not even born and subconsciously she'd already use them to break him…

"Chère, the professor said the decoration of their room was your call. I don't want to influence you on your choices."

"Mmm… ok, you're right. But are you okay with this? I mean, what will you guys do while I'm there? It might take a while…"

"Don't worry, dear. We'll just go and grab a coffee." Storm tried to help out.

"Oui, un café." It took all his poker face to pretend he wasn't ecstatic they finally got the time to go to the jewelry without her.

"Ok, then." She seemed happy at the arrangements.

"You call us when you're done, ok? Or if you need anything at all."

"Ok, sugar."

Little did they know they were being watched. Someone else was also glad that Rogue would be out of her lover's sight for a while. Once Storm and Gambit were nowhere to be seen, the silver-haired man made his move.

Oblivious to the fact she was another man's object of desire, Rogue continued browsing nursery items. Her flowing curls and ivory skin, the delicious curves, and piercing eyes of green, she was absolutely beautiful. Even pregnant, she was still so very sexy. Those foxy eyes of hers, she was simply stunning. His mouth watered as he approached her. For a moment, he just stood there, speechless at her beauty.

"Hey! What are you doing here, Pietro? This is the last place I've expected to meet anyone, especially you!" She said, eyeing her old-time partner in crime. They had both been young and stupid when they rode with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. That was a part of her life she definitely wanted to forget.

"Tell me about it!" he said, self-consciously rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm in town, you know, taking care of some stuff for my father. Passing outside, saw you, and thought I might come in and say 'hello'. You look fabulous."

"Me? Watermelon woman? You can only be joking!"

"I'm serious. You must be the prettiest pregnant woman I've ever seen."

She furrowed her brows and stared blankly at him for a while.

'Now, that's an odd thing to say.' She thought.

"I've heard your friends will get married."

"Yeah, a week from now. We are all very excited about it."

"Convey them my sincerest congratulations, will you?"

"Well, thanks. I will."

"Rogue, you know, after all these years, we've known each other, fighting the same and then different sides of the battle and all, I have to tell you I think you are a very nice girl. You are only a bit deluded like your friends. Are you sure you are not joining us in Asteroid M?"

"Pietro, I appreciate your concern, but I'm happy where I am. I couldn't be happier, really."

'Happy?' he thought. 'Pity that won't last long. In fact, you'll be much happier by my side.' He smirked at his own thoughts.

"Well, Rogue, I'm just trying to help you out. I think Asteroid M will be a great thing for mutants. It's a shame you don't want to join us, but what can I do about it? I have to accept your refusal. Anyway, I gotta go now. Take care, and I hope everything goes well for "

"Well, thanks, Pietro. It was nice seeing you." She said dismissively and turned her attention back to the fabrics she had in her hands.

He hurried out of the shop and smiled despite of himself. He still had to pick up a suit as he was planning to attend a certain wedding the following week.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 – 'I Don't!'

The wedding ceremony was going to be celebrated at seven in the evening. Unlike holding a reception at an inn or hotel where every little detail is taken care of by hotel staff, the ceremony and reception were taking place in the backyard of the mansion and, consequently, the X-men themselves were responsible for most of, if not all, the details.

Some tasks were attributed to each of them and so far, everything seemed to be running smoothly.

All the action would take place at the back of the estate, right near the pool. As the access to the back is gained through various points, most of the mansion's ground floor was decorated with scent-exhaling flowers.

The Olympic-sized swimming pool was filled with white balloons; some ten meters to the left stood the pretty floral wedding arch which had been beautifully crafted by Storm.

Aligned accordingly there were about thirty chairs on each side of the arch that added a festive tune to the backyard wedding as they were decorated with flowers of bright, subtle colors.

As for catering, all Jean had to do was inform Gambit exactly how many people had been invited, not too many, in fact, and he took care of everything.

The day before the ceremony, he prepared appetizers, main meal, and dessert with the help of his kitchen assistants: Rogue and Jubilee, not very skilled ones, it must be said. As the girls were not skilled cooks at all, he knew he wouldn't be able to count on them for everything but for peeling vegetables and stirring saucepans, they were ok, he decided.

Even so, it was a lot for the three of them to prepare, so Gambit decided to use a professional caterer for a few things, including the confection of the wedding cake.

The official photographer was going to be Kitty and Colossus would help her by carrying around equipment and lights when and if she needed them.

One hour away from the time indicated on the invitation as the start of the ceremony, some guests started to arrive. Professor Xavier and Beast were downstairs, groomed, and ready greeting the recently arrived: Bobby, the iceman, and Lorna, former members of the X-Men. Some of Jean's childhood friends and her parents had arrived too.

Rogue waited rather impatiently for Gambit to come out of their ensuite bathroom. She wanted him to help her zip up her dress. The Cajun always spent some time getting ready whenever the occasion asked for it. Most men would spend less than ten minutes in the task of getting ready, but not him.

"Sugar, come on! You're not the bride! Hurry up!" Just as she finished saying those words, the door swung open. There he was, smirking at her.

"I hope the time and effort paid up. What do you think, chère?"

"What do I think? Oh, boy! You look gorgeous! You look delicious, in fact. Makes me wanna have you! As in right now!"

She looked at him adoringly, examining him for a while. Breathing in and out slowly, she took in the beautiful sight of her man. She felt so helplessly in love with him as if it were the very first time she looked at that devil and she realized her heart was dammed because she was completely in love with him.

He was looking fabulous in a grey tuxedo. His gorgeous hair groomed to perfection. She'd never seen him dressed so smartly before and had found it enchanting.

Her prince charming! He was her very own fairy tale prince, she decided. So they existed!

Forgetting all about the fact both of them had to be downstairs in fifteen minutes, an urge of eagerness for that man took over her. She snaked her arms around his waist and started kissing her handsome man up and down his throat. She then stood on the tip of her toes to be able to kiss him full on his mouth.

"Remy, I want you! Desperately! It's not even funny! You gotta have me right now!"

"Chère!" he said in between kisses. "We can't." His body contradicted his words as he pressed her body tighter to his, her huge bump on the way of things.

"The wedding, ma princesse!" Only he knew how hard it was for him to have to utter those words. "We can't do it now, chère."

"We still have fifteen minutes." She said hurriedly and went back to trailing kisses down his neck.

"Chère, now that you are so far along in your pregnancy we can't just do it like that, not at the snap of a finger. You know this! It takes more preparation."

She stopped kissing him and sat on the bed with her arms crossed over her chest, pouting a little.

"Come on, chère. Do you think it's easy for me to say 'no' to you? By looking at me and the way you left me, you know it's not." He spoke pointing down at the bulge in his pants.

"You don't want me anymore because I'm super fat!"

"Belle, don't pull that card on me! Please! For the love of God!"

"Oh, Remy, please! I need to have sex with you right now. It's not my fault you look this good. I can't control it! I'm all hot and bothered, please! Just think of non-pregnant Rogue while you fuck watermelon woman, for fuck's sake!"

"We made love last night, so don't you even try to say I'm not attracted to you because of the pregnancy. You are acting like a spoiled little girl, you know?"

"It's just that… you are so gorgeous. I can't resist you. It's stronger than me. Pleeease!"

"Ok, so how do you think we should do it then? We have ten minutes now." He said in a feeble attempt to put her off.

She looked at him a little mischievously and flashed a lopsided smile.

"I thought you were never going to ask!" she whispered sexily. "Ok, here's how we're gonna do it. I can stand on my knees on the armchair, I'll grab two pillows to support my belly, then you can come from behind and…"

He sighed deeply after looking at his watch. They obviously had no time to be even considering doing that.

"Chère, ma vie, I'm so sorry, but really, we have no time."

"You know what, ok! Fine, Gambit!" she said his code name loudly and slowly, making the consonants pop from her lips. She was clearly trying to tease him. Not so lucky, though. He hugged her and kissed her hair.

"Chère, don't get mad at Gambit, ok? You know very well he wants you, don't you? But we can't compromise our friends' wedding just because we can't keep hands off each other. You don't want Jean getting upset at us because her wedding ran late, do you?" He spoke in between little kisses on her lips.

"No, I don't." She conceded and closed her eyes as she felt the sweetness of his kisses.

"So… just be a good girl, turn around, I'll zip up your dress, you'll go and reapply the lipstick and we'll go down and meet the others, right?"

"Hey! Are you trying to practice your parenting skills on me?"

He laughed really hard at that. Then, they heard a loud knock on the door.

"You two! I don't believe you are still in there!" A familiar voice came from the other side of the door. Storm was acting as the wedding planner and, apparently, she took her 'job' very seriously. "You'd better be ready or I'll make it rain inside your convertible, Rogue!"

He opened the door swiftly, slouched to one side of the door frame, and smirked at his long time friend.

"We're ready, mon ami. Gambit's a responsible guy." Storm rolled her eyes at that.

"Here! The rings! Now be extra careful with them, ok?"

"Have I ever lost anything of yours, Ororo?"

"Well, sometimes you make me lose my mind! Now go meet Scott downstairs." she shouted at him.

'This wedding thing drives all women crazy,' he thought as he climbed down the stairs.

Being the best man, he was expected to stand next to the groom at the altar and hold onto the bride's ring until the vows were exchanged.

Typically best men will escort the maid of honor up the aisle and then await the groom and, finally, the bride. And that's exactly how things would go. While Beast would walk up the aisle with Storm, he was the one who would escort Rogue up the aisle and he didn't know why but that made him feel a little anxious and he hardly felt that way for anything.

The man could break into any expertly secured place without even breaking a sweat and now, there he was, sweaty hands, waiting for Rogue to meet up with him so they would walk up the aisle together.

When she finally showed up looking completely adorable in a full-length scoop neck pink silk dress with shirring at bodice and bow detail at empire waist, he felt his heart pump faster.

Rogue and Storm were wearing the same dress, but in Rogue's case, her bump was proudly shown off, emerging gracefully from under the bow detailed empire waist of the dress.

When Rogue reached Gambit, they both smiled at each other before he took her arm in his.

"Hey, hot girl!" He whispered in her ear making her giggle.

"Don't you get me started, Mr. LeBeau! When we are finally alone, I'll rip this suit of yours apart in half a second." She teased.

"Ok, now you are turning me on. Say something sad or disgusting."

"I read in that pregnancy book you gave me that baby poo comes in different colors and we should watch out for them. It can be black, yellow, green.. That should do it."

"Well, it certainly did. Thanks!"

He looked as if he was about to puke. She laughed out loud.

"For God's sake, you two! We are going to walk the aisle in a minute, would you concentrate on this moment for a minute?" Storm barked at them. Gambit looked over his shoulder at his friend.

"Chère, never let me forget how Storm is freaked out. She won't be the planner for our wedding!" That made Rogue's eyes pop with amazement. Was he kidding or talking seriously? As that was intended for Storm to hear, she assumed he was probably just mocking their friend.

Music started playing, it was their cue to go. The happy parents-to-be looked dreamy and they instantly captivated everyone who looked at them. While they were walking up the aisle, as they passed through people they'd hear the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'.

When they reached the altar and he had to let go of her arm, charming as only he could be, he bowed slightly, held her right hand in his, and gently touched her knuckles with his lips, closing his eyes as he did so.

She smiled nervously at that, not knowing what to do or how to behave. His romantic gesture had just made her melt inside, but she simply couldn't do to him the things she had on her mind… it was not the time to think about that! Sighing lightly, she walked towards Storm and stood next to her.

A few moments later, there came the bride. Jean's father took her by her arm to her future husband. A happy smile stamped on their faces as father and daughter made their way up the aisle.

Jean was glowing in happiness! She looked absolutely fabulous. Her bridesmaids both knew that was their friend's dream coming true and couldn't avoid shedding tears of joy. Remy watched his girl's reactions with curiosity. He must have been the only one present whose attention wasn't fully focused on Jean.

The ceremony itself was simple and beautiful. Professor Charles Xavier sat in the front row. He proudly watched the whole scene taking place in front of him feeling sheer happiness for that couple. As a telepath, he could feel Jean and Scott's state of bliss and that added to the emotions he was feeling at that time.

That wedding symbolically showed him that his dream could indeed materialize. After all, he had created a family with the X-Men, not only the brand-new Summers family, but all of them together formed a unit bonded by love, fellowship, and respect.

When the ceremony was over, guests dispersed. Some sat at their allocated tables and lots of others took it to the dance floor.

Curiously enough, Beast was the elected DJ. He was honoring the job delegated to him as he played tunes that made bodies sway on the floor. True, he had a lot of help from Jubilee selecting the playlist, but even so, he was a revelation as a truly fabulous DJ. Who knew, huh?

Rogue was a bit upset as she loved dancing but couldn't keep up with the rest of the people for too long.

Seeing her walking away, Gambit immediately followed her. He sat on a bench in the gardens next to her and hugged her, gently pulling her head to his shoulder. The pensive expression on her face turned into a relaxed smile.

Kitty was walking around taking pictures and saw in that scene the opportunity of an amazing picture.

"You guys looked so cute. I just looked at you and saw that vision framed beautifully hanging on your bedroom wall… I'm sorry if I disturbed you with the flash."

"C'est n'est pas de problem, petite. In fact, you could do us a favor and snap some more."

Just what the girl wanted to hear. Gambit turned back his attention to his lover and kissed her slowly, taking in every moment of the kiss while Kitty snapped away.

"That's looking great!" The girl said enthusiastically, sounding like a professional photographer shooting their favorite model.

"Ok, girl. Now the party is over." Remy said jokingly, throwing a dismissing hand in the air only to look at Kitty a second later and wink at her. Then, he turned his attention to Rogue again.

He was suddenly overridden by emotion. More than love, that was. There was a need for her, a hunger. A thrist that could never be quenched. He knew that he couldn't live another day away from her and when he looked into her shining green eyes, he knew she felt the same way. She was the one! No doubt about it. She knew all about him, more than anyone else, the good and the bad. She knew about his bad deeds and she still loved him for what he was, flaws included.

"Chère, I just can't get my eyes off you. You look so pretty this evening. My heart skips a beat when I'm with you. I love you so very much! I've been meaning to say something to you, I… I…"

He started patting on his chest, trying to feel the volume of the thing that should have been there but wasn't. He forgot to bring it. Oh, that was great! How was he going to propose when he had no ring on him?

"What is it, sugar?" Rogue asked him, noticing his unease.

"Er… nothing… I guess I need to get something in our room… I'll be back in a minute. Will you wait for me here?"

"You're acting strange. What can it possibly be that you have to get it now, sugar?"

"Er… a pain-killer! I guess I've got a headache." 'Wow, I thought I wouldn't nail it, but that was quick! Still got it!' he thought smugly to himself.

"Oh, poor babe, ok, then. You go there, I'll be waiting for you here."

And with that, her man kissed her forehead, got up, and hurried towards the main entrance.

He didn't plan a special date to propose, he decided he was going to do it whenever his heart begged him too. No tacky dates, ring in a pudding or in a bouquet of flowers, none of this was like them, he had decided long before.

He was going to do it when he felt like it and that was it. And that night was the night he was going to propose, he decided. She looked adorable, sweet but a bit melancholic. He thought that could only be because of the wedding itself, maybe she thought she was never going to have anything like that with him. Oh, but she was, he was convinced of that.

But as soon as he left her, a certain silver-haired young man came along. Seemingly out of nowhere, Quicksilver showed up looking as good as ever on a designer black suit.

She gasped in surprise. His appearance made her jump in alarm.

"Pietro, what the hell are you doing here?" she was quite shocked at his sudden presence.

"I came for you, my darling. My sweet, sweet Rogue." He said offering his hand to her.

Then it all came to her, realization hit her like a train. The way Magneto used to look at her when he was in the mansion, the things he said when he learned she was pregnant by Gambit. The asteroid M project. How according to Magneto's theory, her child was supposed to grow to be one of the most powerful mutants ever born. No, it couldn't be happening. Although she tried to fight that thought, deep in her core, she knew exactly why Pietro came for her.

It was all so unexpected that in all her astonishment, her voice simply left her. She couldn't speak, the only thing she managed to do was to stare at Pietro with terrified eyes.

She tried to say 'You're crazy! I'm not coming with you.' But the words were barely audible.

To her utter surprise, a green-skinned man emerged from behind a bush and joined the two of them.

"Oh, you are, dear."

He hypnotized her in a matter of seconds. Rogue took Pietro's hand in hers eagerly and followed them through the garden and into a car.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Two Princes

Rogue woke up in a very different environment she was used to. She looked about in amazement.

It was very nicely furnished, and elegant. There was this polished, modern aesthetic to it that was also cozy. But all the while, it was very familiar. She felt safe, at home. She had hundreds of sweet memories in that bedroom.

It felt familiar indeed, not that it was actually known to her anyway, for those memories did not correspond to reality. They were a mere product of Mesmero's imagination. He hypnotized Rogue into believing she was Quicksilver's wife. And what an excellent job he had done!

In order to give it more veracity, he implanted various important memories in her mind. A wide range of events that are supposed to be part of a young couple's life, like when they met, their first kiss, the first time they had sex, got married, and even when she discovered she was pregnant by him.

Her self-proclaimed husband had spent the last hour in a private meeting with this father. She sat alone on their bed and contemplated stupid things that came to her mind, mainly things related to her babies. She wondered who they would look like.

'Will they have their father's white hair?' She thought, when, suddenly the babies started kicking inside of her.

'Ouch! Ouch! Aw! You two are grounded!' She said in a funny baby voice. Then something occurred to her. Saying the babies were grounded, that was so not her. 'Who had said that before?' She frowned trying hard to remember who the author of that little joke was. It had been Remy, but her state of hypnosis wouldn't let her fully access that memory.

Her affliction was short-lived though, as Pietro opened the door slowly.

'It must take him real effort to do anything at all that slowly.' She smiled at that thought. He walked at his fast pace towards her. She didn't have the time to blink an eye before he was a few inches from her. Smiling, he bent down and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Hey, sweetie. How have you been?" Noticing the concerned expression she had on her face, he tried to make conversation and sat down next to her.

"I'm fine, sugar. Just missing you, actually, I'm feeling a bit lonely here." She looked away from him as if she felt embarrassed of confessing she needed him by her side.

"Oh honey, don't be sad. I'm here now, all yours." He grabbed her hands in his and getting closer to her all the while, his lips brushed hers.

Startled at first, little by little, she let herself go and kissed him back cautiously. She felt she loved him, that notion had been very carefully implanted in her brain. She knew he was her husband. But why was it then that she felt there was something missing in their kiss?

Softly caressing her hair, Pietro continued kissing her fervently. Then, his hands made their way to her breasts. His lips left hers and started trailing down her throat and she moaned lightly at that. Even though she sort of liked the sensation of his demonstration of love and affection, something inside her made it feel like that was wrong.

There was something in her heart that told her there was more to love and sex than that. Sometimes she would catch herself sighing and having strange thoughts. She didn't know exactly why she was living there in that asteroid M. She wondered why she felt like she was waiting for someone to come, or something to happen.

An inexplicable sensation engulfed her. She felt she was looking forward to something, an expectation... Something that she longed for was about to happen but simply couldn't pinpoint what or who it was. The arrival of her babies, surely, but was there something else?

Pietro had told her many times already about his father's philosophy and ideals. But really, she didn't care much. She wanted to know what or who was missing. She wished the strange feeling would just go away.

"Stop, Pietro! Wait! I… I don't want…"

"Anna, you've been denying me for a week now. What's up with you?" He questioned cynically when he knew very well why. It had been a week since he brought her with him. She had never been his… so far.

"I don't know, sugar. Just give me some time, will you? I think it's… it must be… because of the pregnancy and being this fat and all. Maybe, maybe we can wait until after the babies are born. I don't think I'm getting in the mood for that anymore."

"Sorry, honey. I didn't mean to push you or be rude to you. It's just that… that I… I want you, babe. You're amazing and I love you. It's only natural that we do it, right?" Looking at her admiringly, he went back to kissing her, just kissing her. That was all she let him do… For now, he thought. He was confident he would, eventually, win her over.

X X X X

"One, two princes kneel before you  
That what I said now  
Princes, princes who adore you  
Just go ahead now  
One has diamonds in his pockets  
That's some bread, now  
This one said he wants to buy you rockets  
Ain't in his head, now"

About ten minutes later, he was back with an expensive diamond ring in his jacket pocket. He grinned in anticipation, sure as he was that that was going to be one of those moments in life you can never forget. Poor Remy! Indeed, he was not ever going to forget that, but not for the right reasons. If only he knew it was going to be just the opposite of what he was expecting.

When he was back to the very same spot he had left her just moments earlier, he realized she was nowhere to be found. He grinned at that, imagining she was probably off to the bathroom as she was peeing all the time being late in her pregnancy and all that.

It was only after twenty minutes that realization of what was happening started sinking in, and what's worse, the panic of thinking she might have been taken from him washed all over him. He had looked for her everywhere, asked everyone if they had seen her. No one had.

Alarmed, after some time of consideration, he decided that yes, he was going to have to go and ruin his friends' wedding party. Visibly shaken, he went to the stage and announced his despair to everyone else, hoping that someone would tell him where the love of his life was. She would show up, giggling, as usual, excuse her lover's precipitated agitation. They would kiss, he'd take the opportunity to kneel on one knee and ask her to marry him. Yes, that could have been the perfect ending of his agony. Except that things didn't go quite the way he so desperately wished for.

One hour later, guests were gone and the X-Men were in their meeting room. All of them looked deeply distressed at the sudden and unexplained disappearance of their beloved friend.

Gambit was completely devastated. While the people around him were discussing what could have possibly happened to his chère, he was quiet in a nearly catatonic state. What would cause him to snap out of that was not quite good news.

An incoming message to their main computer. A video message. It was him! Gambit had to trust his guts, he was positive that whatever had happened Magneto and his disciples were in it. Sadly, that video came as a confirmation of his guesses.

Quicksilver smirked back at them from the screen making the criminally red-eyed man clench his fists. A second later he punched the table as hard as he could.

"I knew this guy was in it! I knew it!"

"Calm down, Gambit. Let's listen to it all, he must be just teasing us in this video, but he'll probably tell whatever it is that he wants from us or from you so that we can have Rogue back here with us."

In the video, the super agile son of Magneto spoke with a lopsided smirk.

"Hello there, X-Losers! Well, just want to let you all know that Rogue is safe with me and you can all relax. We will treat her more than fine and as you can see, she's not the slightest bit stressed out." The camera went to Rogue who just smiled back. Quicksilver went away from her and then added. "I'll let you in on my little secret, though. She's been hypnotized into believing she's my wife. Isn't that great? We get to have your powerful children to join our cause, Gambit, and I get to screw your amazingly hot girl…"

At those words, Gambit simply couldn't hold it up any longer. He stood up, took a card out of his inner jacket pocket, and threw it at the screen, blowing it up with a flaming card. Fury tears streamed violently down his face. No one had ever seen him cry before. He himself could not remember when he last cried.

"This fucker! He's taken all I have! My woman, my friend, my lover, the love of my life, the mother of my children! And also my children she carries inside of her. He took my everything and I'm going to kill him for that!"

Storm darted from her seat to console him as he sobbed, but he simply pushed her away. No, there was no consolation for him now. He had to do something, and it had to be right now. It was not like him to sit around and wait.

"Where are you going, Remy?" Storm asked and he walked past her, rushing out of the room. She was the only one who dared to speak to him. Nothing could be said to him that would make him feel any better. He hadn't learned how to live without her, just couldn't bear the thought of losing her, the only one who's ever known him. The only woman who loved him not for his looks and sensuality, but for whom he really was inside.

"Storm, just leave me alone, mon ami." He said as he prepared to leave the room.

"Remy, we are all your friends. We are here to help. Where are you going without us? We'll figure out what to do. Wait and we'll go with you. We gotta get prepared, we have to know where they are and how exactly to approach them." Cyclops said.

"I can't wait for any second to do something about it. I'll do whatever it takes and use any means in my reach to get to this fucking bastard and bring ma chère back to me. And they have probably not departed yet… There might still be time."

"But we don't know anything about them, where they are, how they are going to the asteroid. Let me search for them with Cerebro." Charles Xavier offered humbly.

"Je suis desolée, professor. I can't wait."

"Remy, I don't care who you allying with to bring your girl back, but I'm going with you. I won't question you for a minute, I'll just follow."

"Logan, you don't have to."

"Quit the bullshit, we are friends, and this is what friends do, they stick together."

In any other circumstances, he would have vigorously disputed this, but this time, he just let it go.

"Ok, Wolvie, you are more than welcome."

The two men left the room. The others remained silent as they watched them go. They did so not out of cowardice, but because they truly believed with the help of Cerebro and some more time to plan, they were able to effectively rescue Rogue.

Just as they were darting through the corridor, Remy's phone rang. He stopped to take the phone from his jacket, his pain-stricken face showed Logan stared at him with furrowed brows.

"Well, well. How are you, my friend? Not great, I hear."

"Spit it out, Sinister. What is it that you want from me so that I can go and see ma chère?"

X X X X

During that first week, everything that happened was like a continuation of the memories Mesmero had planted in her head. Pietro and she were like the prince and princess of that artificial civilization his father had created.

Life was good and easy there. They had access to all fine things and everyone around seemed to love and respect them. That was at least what she was allowed to see, the only things they let her perceive. Like a futuristic hippie community, those people seemed to be all about peace and love.

Pietro was always a perfect gentleman and her supposed in-laws were cordial and condescending towards her.

It was true, though, that Wanda always had a bit of a sad face when she looked at Rogue. Once she even managed to say she was sorry for her and apologized quickly before her brother came into the dining room one night. At the time, Rogue assumed she said that because her pregnancy was taking the best of her most of the time. Even so, apart from that little episode, she felt she was a part of that family and it made her happy. After all, hypnosis or not, all Rogue ever wanted was to feel as if she belonged.

The only downside to her days was when Magneto, Pietro, and Wanda were locked in a meeting room for hours in a row.

Today was an important day in the mutant community. Apparently, some more mutants who were supposed to join the guard of the asteroid were going to arrive in a few hours. Consequently, apart from all the excitement in the air, there was a lot of arrangements to be made. Therefore, Pietro was spending more time with his father for the last two days.

She felt lonely and even though she got to know most of the other mutants in the asteroid, she didn't feel like joining them for chats, meals, or anything that would involve or require too much socializing.

So, when their meetings were taking place, she would normally seclude in her bedroom. Most times, she'd sit quietly on the bed and read romances or mom-to-be guides. But not today, today she was determined to find a woman's magazine Pietro had brought her the other day which she was completely positive she'd left somewhere on her bedside table.

The little table had three drawers and was stacked with loads of books and magazines. Everything had been carefully placed there so that she would always remain entertained during his constant absences.

Lacking anything better to do, she went through each of the drawers, top to bottom, getting everything out of them, analyzing what each of them was, organizing them in order of her preferences, the ones she would enjoy reading more would come at the top of the pile. After her minimalistic appreciation, categorization, and organization, she would put the piles back to the drawers.

When she was going through the third and last of the drawers, she found a small fancy light pink clutch under all the other contents. Not recognizing it instantly, as she should, were she not hypnotized, she examined the clutch curiously.

After moments of hesitation, she opened it to find an envelope and a silver bracelet.

On the back of the envelope was written 'To my unborn babies' and the bracelet had a locket was used as a charm.

She placed the envelope on the bed carefully and turned all her attention to the bracelet. Cautiously, she opened the little locket, only to find inside a picture on each side of it. One of herself and the other was of a handsome smirking man.

'Who's that man?' she asked herself in a low whispery voice, running her finger over the tiny picture.

Who would have given her that? Was he an ex-boyfriend she'd completely forgotten about? What about the letter? It could only be Pietro's, but why would it be kept the same place as that locket? Should she just open the damn letter at once? All those questions crowded her mind.

She had to get another look at him!

As the picture was really small, she took the little locket closer to her eyes, attempting to see more of that man. He had... What? Red eyes? She couldn't really see well. Without her noticing it, her breathing became labored. That man, there was something about him that made her feel nervous. Feeling a strange tension growing inside her chest, she decided that man was responsible for that, so she kept the objects where she found then trying hard not to think too much about the conflict it brought to her mind and left her room.

That same night, she had trouble sleeping. After turning and twisting in bed, she gave up trying to sleep and got up. While she putting on her robe, she looked at Quicksilver sleeping serenely on their bed. She hesitated for a second, but then left their room.

Just as she closed the door behind her as softly as she could, she realized the corridor that led to the main hall was not lit up as it usually was. Her surroundings were almost pitch black. When she turned around to look for a switch, her eyes met those same red eyes from the picture in the locket. Her heart almost jumped right out of her chest in alarm.

With expert ease, he swiftly threw his right arm around her back and his left hand over her lips. Her alarmed eyes looked right into his as if pleading mercy.

"Shhhhh! Shhhh!"

She mumbled something unintelligible, only a low muffled sound could be heard.

"Ma chére! I missed you so much." He said in her ear as he led her away from her bedroom door. Her pleading eyes questioned him without a word. He let go of her mouth.

"What the hell!? Who are you? What do you want with me? Why are you taking me away from my husband? I'm pregnant! Don't you have the decency of respecting a pregnant woman? A very pregnant woman, in fact! – she paused for a second and in a lighter tone of voice went on - And why did I see your picture in a locket? Why would I have your picture in a bracelet?"

She would have continued rambling on if he didn't interrupt her with a kiss. That was the kind of kiss you have to gasp for air. She felt conflicted for a second, but his kiss, it felt so good, so perfectly right and meant to be, she gave in and kissed him back with unexpected passion. Even though she felt slightly offended by the petulance of that stranger, the longer they kissed, the more she felt irresistibly attracted to him. When their lips parted, he explained to her patiently.

"Ma vie, je pense que you would snap right out of it once you saw me."

Her face complexion was as confused as before.

"Snap out of what?"

"Chère, don't you know? You are mine and I'm yours."

"Are you insane? I'm a married woman. I'm married to Pietro, Magneto's son. He helps his father rule this place. You're going to be in deep trouble for harassing me."

"In trouble? He shall see what I'm going to do to him once I lay my hands on that pervert!"

"Sorry, sir. It's my husband you're talking about. You see this ring here. I'm married to him and I love my husband. How could I possibly be yours?"

"Ma belle, enough with these silly questions. I'll explain later and you'll remember… We have to go and get away from here."

"Ohhh, you are unnerving. Just tell me what's going on. I'm not going anywhere with you! Not before you tell me how you know me!"

He completely ignored her tantrum and smirking at her, he said.

"Oh, this is going to be interesting! I'll have to win your heart all over again. I just love that thrill!" He flashed his best smile at her making her blush instantly. "There's one thing you should know now, chére. The rest of it I'll tell you in no time, but this can't wait."

"What is it, intruder?" She said annoyed. Annoyed at both his Cajun accent and his arrogant ways.

"Je t'aime. Will you marry me?" He stopped walking, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her again.

"You are positively insane!" 

X X X 

" Marry him, marry me  
I'm the one that loves you baby can't you see?  
Ain't got no future or family tree  
But I know what a prince and lover ought to be  
I know what a prince and lover ought to be"

Notes:

The title of the chapter and lyrics extracts are from the 90's song Two Prince by Spin Doctors. I thought it was fitting as this is a 90s story and Rogue has two princes in her life at the moment.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – The Letter

The unholy alliance was once again in place. Nathaniel Essex was welcomed, for the lack of a better word, to Asteroid M. It was quite astounding how quickly the two enemies went from foes to friends. All it took was having one common goal and all their disagreements were all but forgotten.

Under the roof of Magneto this time, Mr. Sinister's attitude was much more contained than all those months ago in the Savage Land. Over there, he was the one dictating the rules. He had proven to be cold and merciless, to say the least. However, Magneto was more than ready to overlook the way he had been treated because he needed Nathaniel's knowledge. His undeniably higher skills as a geneticist were not only welcome, but urgently necessary.

"So we meet again, Sinister. Not as enemies, but as potential allies. I hope you have enjoyed your first night in Asteroid M."

"Well, on my part, you can put your mind to rest. I assure you I'm here to collaborate, as long as I keep having the advantages that have been discussed with your son."

"Surely. He has passed on all your conditions to me, and, most importantly, I believe he made my exigencies quite clear too."

"About that, here it is. I brought you the very sample of DNA I've extracted from you back in the Savage Land."

"How can I be sure you have no other copy of it?"

"You can't. You'll have to trust my word."

"Before you retire to your room, there's something else I'd like to know. I trust you managed to get hold of your part of the bargain, am I right?" Magneto asked with a smirk.

"Well, yes, indeed I did. Gambit came running to me as soon as I called him with the news and told him I could find a way to bring him here."

"And will you do that?"

"I already did." He sneered contemptuously. "He came here with me today as my hired personal guard. You see, I am a man that honors his promises." Magneto narrowed his eyes at this particular piece of information. Those were not news he wanted to hear. Gambit there in the asteroid could do no good at all.

"Was that all you wanted from him? To have him as your watchdog?"

"He also had to give me his DNA and sign an authorization for me to use it as I please."

"Quite ingenious!" The master of magnetism spoke raising one eyebrow. "Regarding the authorization though, why would you do that? As if you ever depended on anyone's permission to make clones..." Magneto trailed off.

"I reckon you are quite right there. I'm afraid I only wanted him to be a little bit more humiliated than he already was. It was a very good plan, indeed. No one turns their back on me, it was about time he learned that lesson. And the fact that he was completely devastated at seeing your son with his lover was just the icing on the cake."

"Be respectful, Essex. My daughter-in-law is no one else's lover."

A moment of silence followed. Then, malicious laughs emerged.

X X X

The heavily pregnant lady stared back at the father of her children in complete shock and disbelief. Words left her. Who did he think he was? What kind of moron would propose to a woman that one, he'd just met, two, was already married, and finally, was as pregnant as one could possibly get with not only one, but two babies? She stared wide-eyed into those devilish red eyes burning with passion for her, and her heart fell silent. It took her a moment or two for her to be able to gather some coherent thoughts and express her outrage.

"Now, I'm positive you are an insane man! Marry you? I've already told you I'm married!" She was still gasping for air after their breath-taking kiss, she spoke pausing at regular intervals to take in deep breaths. He laughed at that which made her roll her eyes at him. Not quite the reaction she was expecting.

"I just couldn't resist it, chère. He took you away from me just when I was going to propose… this is hardly fair, don't you think? Never mind, I'll propose to you properly when you're back to yourself. After all, if a knight won't slay his own dragons and make a romantic proposal, he doesn't believe he's marrying a real lady." He, then, kissed the back of her hand gallantly making her blush.

'This man is completely crazy, totally cuckoo. But one thing is true, he surely knows how to make a girl go light in the head.' She thought, sighing despite herself, completely swept off her feet by that charming stranger.

Not remotely noticing that he was undressing her with his eyes as he flashed his delicious grin at her, she stared blankly at him, astonished at the lack of coherence in every single thing he said. Desperately trying to make sense of the things he had said, and failing miserably at that, she decided she would just play along.

"You're a funny guy, Mister." She said dismissively while they walked diligently through the corridors of the sort of palace she had been living in for the past few days.

"Funny? Ma princesse, love always starts with that, me being a clown for you and making you laugh."

She snorted at that. All the while, Remy's powerful sense of alertness was turned to both Rogue and her reactions and to the photographic image he had in his mind of the map he'd seen earlier of that place. They had to get to the hangar, the sooner the better.

Sadly, his concentration was to be disturbed sooner than he'd anticipated. Rogue was hey were surprised by a familiar flash of light passing through them, circling around them bringing the two fugitives to a halt. The silence from a second ago gave way to the sound of furious breathing, rasping.

Rogue felt like she was going to be sick, adrenaline pumping in her veins. The pregnant lady felt light-headed, her heart pounding against her chest, thudding loudly. Her eyes darted from Remy to Pietro in horror as her mock-up husband stopped right in front of them.

"Gambit, Gambit, such a bad loser, huh? I never expected you here this soon."

Gambit clenched his fists and gave Quicksilver the death stare when in the presence of the diabolic white-haired man who dared to steal his chère from under his nose. Pietro ignored Gambit's reaction, without ever saying a word, he simply extended his right hand to Rogue which she grabbed without much hesitation. Being pulled to him, she held onto the man she believed to be her husband. Feeling safe next to him, she nestled her head in his neck.

"You see how scared you got my wife? You shall pay for this." He declared in all his cynicism.

"No, Pietro." She spoke abruptly in sudden despair, her hand disapprovingly spread over his chest as if trying to hold him back. Lifting her gaze, she looked at the supposedly strange man who stared back at her, he looked pained, hurt. What she couldn't possibly imagine, hypnotized as she was, was how painful it was for him to see her in someone else's arms.

Noticing the sad expression stamped on his face, a wave of emotion washed over her. She still couldn't remember anything at all about him, but she felt in her heart she had feelings for that gorgeous man. Grabbing Pietro's chin, she forced him to look at her.

"Sugar, please, I'm asking you not to hurt him." Her supplicant eyes shone intensely.

"Ok, dear. You may be sure that I won't hurt him." He gave her a peck, she closed her eyes as his lips touched hers. Looking at Gambit, he smirked. The suffering man's red eyes seemed to flame brighter, anger and jealousy consuming him.

"Je suis desolée, chère. But I can't say that same about not hurting… your… husband." He said as he charged a card and looking defiantly at Pietro.

"Will you throw it? Are you seriously thinking of running the risk of endangering my wife and our unborn children? I don't think so."

"Quit being a coward, Quicksilver. This is between me and you. Chère, step back."

"Step back? Seriously, Gambit? If I remember your powers, she'd have to do much more than just stepping back."

"Stop!" She shouted at both men. "I'm not going anywhere! And I don't want you two to fight." She said decisively. But before she could realize it, Quicksilver had held her in his arms, took her to their bedroom with his super speed. Before she could blink, she was locked up inside their bedroom.

Just seconds later, Pietro was back. Confident he would fight off his opponent. Gambit threw various of his cards at Pietro, but the fast man was not hit by any of them.

"You'll have to be faster than this to catch me, Gambit."

"As you wish." He replied as he took his retractable bo staff out of his coat pocket. Throwing his weight on the staff, he lunged forward, legs first, aiming his enemy. But, once again, Quicksilver was so fast that Gambit's attack missed again. His chocolate brown hair swooshed in the air as he turned quickly and then bent down to escape Quicksilver's punch.

Magneto's son started running around Gambit, punching him in the face repeatedly. His speed was such that Gambit had no time to react or prevent that from happening. But in no time, he realized Pietro's tactics and predicted where he would attack.

Moving with precise steps in what seemed to be a choreographed dance, Remy managed to escape most of his enemy's punches. Pietro laughed every time he managed to hit Remy.

However, Pietro's game was going to be short-lived as Gambit used his staff, twisting it in his fingers with precision making it spin so fast that he finally caught Pietro off guard.

Being hit in the chest, Pietro lost his balance and fell to the ground. Remy pointed the staff at his chest as one would point a sword to an opponent's chest in a sword fight. With his foot pressing on Pietro's stomach, he was in full control of the situation.

"Touché." He grinned.

X X X X

One week earlier, Wolverine and Gambit were being treated as supervised visitors in Mr. Sinister's house. Supervised visitors was how Mr. Sinister preferred to call them, but prisoners would be a more accurate description of the pair of them. Obviously, they were being held 'prisoners' by their own choice, if they chose to, Dr. Nathaniel Essex would let them go. However, they needed Sinister's help in order to travel to Asteroid M. And that was precisely why they decided to stay.

In a locked darkened room, with a guard by the door, they talked in very low voices.

"Wolvie, thank you for coming and standing by me. But, really, you don't need to do this. You haven't even fully recovered from being subject to scientific experimentation and perhaps, you never will. This guy is dangerous, I know that. God only knows what your DNA and your healing power could mean to Sinister. It could be too dangerous a weapon…"

"I thought you would let me help you."

"But I don't want you to fuck up the rest of the world in the process."

"You know I care about Rogue and I care about you too. I'm not going to step back and do nothing about that creep taking your lady as his make-believe wife. So we play by the book now and just whatever the fuck this guy wants for now. If this is how Sinister wants us to pay for our ticket to that damn Asteroid, providing a DNA sample hurts us none, we can always come back and dispose of it later."

"In fact, I have another idea. I sneaked into Sinister's computer system yesterday and after some research, I found out that there will be a shipment of mutants who want to join Magneto and take his offer of a human-free life up there."

"Hummmm… And when will that be?"

"Two days after Sinister's departure."

"And you're thinking I could go and join them. Tell them losers some story that I'm fed up with the X-Men and that I want to try life in the Asteroid."

"Exactly."

"But, the question is, do you think they would buy it?"

"They may not buy it, but even if they don't, they would surely appreciate having you there. The appeal of your powers could be a decisive factor. Surely, they would be tempted to have you hypnotized working by their side. Probably the same thing they did with ma chère."

Patting him on the back, Wolverine replied.

"Sounds like a plan, my friend, we'll do that. And we'll bring her back! This I promise you."

"Thanks, man. It means the world to me."

And so the way forward was to continue giving their all to attain this inner wish, to rescue Rogue. Both men had been through highs and lows in life and knew just how to scale or walk around obstacles, to dance that exact path they felt compelled to dance in order to achieve their ultimate goal. Then every day they took steps toward conquering it. Besides, arriving in Asteroid M with Sinister, as opposed to going crash boom bang with the X-Men, might give them just the edge they needed. 

X X X X

Despite the fact she respected him and loved him as her husband, she was mad at him for taking her away from the red-eyed man. Deep inside, she just knew that her wishes would not be granted, they were definitely not going to sort out the differences they appeared to have in a calm and collect manner as she wished. One of them would get hurt in the forthcoming confrontation and she didn't want any of them to get injured or worse.

"Pietro, why are you doing this? I'd like to think I have the right of choosing where to go or where to stay." Furrowing her brows, she said. Putting her back to the ground as they reached their destination, he simply ignored her complaint and looked at her, as calm and gentle as ever.

"It's for your own good, my dear. You know how protective of you I am."

"What are you going to do to him? Please, don't hurt him. The man may be delusional, but he has been nothing but kind to me all the while." In fact, way more than kind, she thought, thinking of the delicious kisses they shared. Her plea was completely ignored for he was gone in a heartbeat and her question was left unanswered.

Being put back into the cage that her own bedroom had become didn't please her at all. Moreover, she wanted answers and answers were not in the room. Except that... maybe they were. Yes, they were! 

Feeling her heartrate soaring, she reached for the last drawer of the bedside table as quickly as she could possibly manage. After having found the clutch, she opened it in a hurry and got the letter out of it. Without thinking twice about it, she tore it open.

'Dear Babies, my children, my treasure,

The one who's writing this is your father, Remy Le Beau. And if you are reading this, it's because I'm probably no more.

Daddy wanted to talk to you, to hold you, to show my unconditional love to you, to teach your all his tricks, but if my life was taken from me, I think you need to hear from your father at least once in your lives. So, this is why I'm writing this.

First, I want you to know that you were conceived with so much love. I have been madly in love with your mom since the first time I saw her. It sounds crazy, I know. But there was something about her, her attitude, her gorgeous looks, killer smile, and her southern accent... What about her white locks of hair? That has got to be sexy, don't you think? Ok, you probably don't want to think of your mom that way… but the thing is I love her, I love her so much that this love even hurts. This poor Cajun heart of mine just can't take it, so I live in the agony of wanting her by my side all the time. Whenever I'm away from your mom and you two too, I feel so hollow and incomplete.

Your mom and I, we are not the traditional kind of couple. Things have never been easy for us. Our love story was very complicated from the beginning. You see, mom cannot touch anyone without nearly killing them. We couldn't touch unless her powers were somehow off. With the help of our friend, your Uncle Hank, we solved that problem. And maybe, who knows, hopefully, when you read this, she'll have been able to control her powers.

I wish I knew about my parents like you will know, for sure. I'd like to know that they loved me the way I love you two. But I never knew my parents. I was abandoned at birth, just because of my red eyes. (I'm wondering here if any of you will be the proud winners of these eyes too…) So, they abandoned me because I was obviously a mutant. I hope that when you read this you'll find it absurd that anyone has been rejected because of that. Because of you, for you, my children, we fight for a more understanding world, for the peaceful coexistence of humans and mutants. I hope that in your life you don't have to be through things your mom and I have been through just because we're mutants. Your time will be different, I wish with all my heart that you'll never feel different because you are mutants. On the contrary, you'll feel special.

Oh, I want so much to be there, to help you out when you first realize your mutant powers. I want to be there for you for everything in life, but I'm afraid, really petrified, scared, terrorized, at the possibility of not making it.

Ok, I'm shedding tears now, wetting this paper, and just hope it survives the rainfall. So I'll just finish this letter asking you to do this one thing: Never forget your origins. Don't forget you had a mom and a dad who loved you like crazy since the very first moment they learned mummy was expecting. Your parents made many mistakes in life but they tried to compensate for them every single day of their existence so that you could be proud of being our children.

My dearest, please, enjoy life to its fullest and be happy people. That's all I want for you.

With love,

Remy

p.s.: If anyone tells you that your father was a gambler and a dirty thief, well, I'm afraid that's true. Sorry about that… but I can explain! Ask your mom or people who knew me to tell you about the Thieves' Guild. About the gambling… well, I'm proud of that. It's an art not many can master. And your father was the best in it!

More confused than she was before she folded the letter and put it back in its envelope. Her face was wet with tears, not knowing why exactly nor even sure if she believed what she read, she sighed and allowed herself to sob a bit more.

When she was done crying, she stood up, removed her collar, and placed it on the bed. She opened the locked door almost effortlessly and flew through it.

She was getting some answers, one way or another. But one thing she was sure of, she didn't know where she knew that man from, she didn't know much about him. OK, she knew nothing at all, but she knew she loved him and he was the thing she felt missing.

X X X X

A moment after Gambit celebrated the glory of having defeated and left Quicksilver in such a humiliating position, about twenty mutants came running in his direction. No, they didn't look very thrilled at his achievement and less even at his attempt to make the Little Prince succumb.

Even though, Gambit fought and managed to avoid being caught quite bravely, eventually, being outnumbered finally took its toll on him.

Having fallen unconscious after being attacked by Magneto, he was then imprisoned.

"Sinister, I knew you were bringing me trouble." Looking at his son with evil eyes, he said. "Pietro, you can't do anything right, can you, my son?"

X X X X


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 – You're Still the One

Flying through the corridor, she followed the sounds that led her to them. A fight had ensued between them. Then, Magneto's voice prevailed and silence fell. Not being able to make out exactly what he was saying, she lowered her feet to the ground and remained in silence with her back against the wall right on the corner that led to the main corridor where the fight had taken place.

The corridor was thankfully still dark, courtesy of Remy Le Beau. Trying hard to achieve the goddamn impossible, not being seen with that huge baby bump of hers, she looked over her shoulder and slid forward a little, just enough to get a small glimpse of what was going on.

To her utter disbelief, she could see Remy LeBeau being held by five strong mutants and some other twenty stood around them watching the scene. They were taking him somewhere, following her husband's orders surely.

'They are going to throw him in prison.' She thought regretfully.

Remembering the time when Pietro gave her a tour of the asteroid. He had shown her every place, including the area where the 'less social mutants' were supposed to stay. She concluded that could only be where they were taking him. She remembered how she questioned the fact that the asteroid even had a prison. If the sole purpose of the asteroid was being a community of mutants who were to live in harmony, it didn't seem right to have a prison.

'It's not a prison, my dear. It's a facility for those who need some time for reflection, you see. There will be behavioral doctors on call to help those in need. You see, in all societies, there are always misfits.' She could hear him say in her head. The condescending tone he had used didn't sit well with her.

'Was Remy a misfit?' She pondered. 'No, he wasn't. She knew deep inside he wasn't. He might seem a little crazy, but something told her there was something behind it all. Things weren't quite adding up. So, it seemed she was the one who would have to take matters into her own hands and find out the truth for herself.

Feeling her whole body invigorated with determination, she waited a little while until everyone had dispersed and then, flew into the area where Remy LeBeau was being held.

The place was poorly lit and only two guards were standing watch by the entrance. They fell to the ground in a second as soon as she touched both their faces. Having touched them just enough to have them out for a while, she managed not to get too disturbed by the men's thoughts. Seeing little sparks coming out of her hands, she realized one of them should have powers somehow related to fire.

"Remy? Are you there? Are you all right?" She asked into the emptiness of the hall she paced, looking for the man who caught her eye and intrigued her.

"Chère! You came for me! It's so good to see you! Have you snapped out of it?" He stood and straightened up as soon as he saw her.

"There you go again. I don't know what you're talking about." She sighed, disappointed at herself. She stepped closer to his cell.

"Humm, you're not wearing your necklace. This gives me a very good idea." He smirked.

"Remy, stop talking nonsense. There are so many things I want to ask you. I don't understand what's going on. Are you our enemy or friend? I… I can't help… thinking about you ever since I met you. It's a bit disturbing as I don't know exactly why. And then, there was the letter I've just read. A letter from you… to my children." Blushing fiercely, she looked away from him for an instant. Holding the bars with both hands, he got closer to her, as close as his imprisonment would allow.

"Chére, listen up. You are ma femme. All these guys here, you see, they are the bad guys. You have been hypnotized to believe you are Quicksilver's wife. But you are not, chère! You are not! You are mine! L'amour de ma vie."

"This seems so farfetched." She shook her head. "Can't you see how absurd your words are? As if such a thing could happen…"

"It can happen and it did. This is Mesmero's mutant power. He was the one who did that to you, as Magneto requested. But seeing you now, with your powers on, I've just come up with a plan to make you remember everything, mon coeur."

"And what would that be, Louisiana boy?"

"Kiss me and you'll see everything we've lived together. You'll see our home, the X-Mansion, our friends, everything. And if that doesn't bring you back to yourself, I don't know what else will."

"You're saying that just to get to kiss me... Again!" She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "Besides, if you know me at all, you know I could harm you really bad. If you really knew me as you say, you'd be wiser than that. My powers are very, very dangerous."

"I'm willing to go through it again, chère. For you, I'll always do it over and over again."

"Do you mean I've sucked your powers before?" Her green eyes almost popped out of their sockets at that piece of information.

"Oh, you sure have, chère." He grinned. "Now, just remember, when you have my powers, don't touch anything unless you want to blow it up. For your safety and our babies' safety too, I would advise against it. Also, if you could wait up until I'm out of the little coma you always put me on, it'd be nice too." He winked at her.

Taking in deep breaths, she closed her eyes in preparation for what was about to follow. Through the bars, he touched her cheek lightly with one hand, not feeling the familiar pull of power coming from her skin. He raised one eyebrow at that and with a single finger he touched her chin and motioned for her lips to meet his. Still nothing.

Feeling the heat of his touch, she felt her pulse racing, her breathing quickening. Even before absorbing him, she felt her love, the power of their inexplicable attraction traveling inside of her body, rushing like the very blood in her veins.

Kissing her full in the mouth, he could finally feel his energy and powers being sucked away from him. However, instead of letting her go, he managed to hold on to her a little longer. He wanted her to have access to as much of his memories as he could possibly give her without falling into a full-blown coma.

As she saw his body collapsing to the ground, a tourbillion of emotions invaded her soul, a thousand images flashing in her mind. Feeling her whole body trembling and her mind overwhelmed with so many of his memories coming into her consciousness, she slowly stepped back. Her back found the nearest wall and she slowly slid to the ground while hot tears flowed freely down her face.

She covered her face with her shaking hands while memory after memory popped up in her mind. Jean and Cyclops's wedding ceremony. The little fight they had before getting dressed that same morning. Herself and Jubilee helping out in the kitchen. One afternoon when he spent hours singing and telling stories to her belly. The first ultrasound. A dinner party in the X-Mansion. Him seeing her and Storm flying over the mansion. Flashes of her smiling face. Flashes of their nights of sex in Savage Island. Then, a memory of hers emerged. The night she was captured… the green man hypnotizing her.

"Oh my God!" She finally said. "I just can't believe I fell for that." She didn't know how many minutes had elapsed since she started seeing Remy's memories until she was finally able to see her own. Looking at the entrance of the prison, she saw the two guards were still down.

When she saw her man passed out on the floor and out of her reach, she freaked out. Heavily pregnant as she was, she had to crawl on her fours to reach him.

"Remy! Remy! Sugar! Please, please, talk to me."

After minutes of her poking his seemingly lifeless body, he finally rolled on the floor, and looking weak he managed to look at her and speak in a shallow voice.

"Chère, do you know you love me already?" he flashed a thin smile at her.

"Oh, sugar, I do. I'm so sorry. I don't believe I used nothing the professor taught me to block that guy out of my head."

"Don't blame yourself, ma belle. I don't think anyone can block that guy. Well, maybe the professor can and also Jean... but I've heard that guy once hypnotized a whole army of man."

"Really? So it's not just me being weak in the head after all… Are you feeling ok, sugar?" She asked him looking concerned.

"Not really, but it will pass. Listen up chère, I say you leave me here, go back to Quicksilver, pretend everything is the same way as it was before. Wolverine will be here in two days. The three of us have better chances of making it out of here, don't you think?"

"Sugar, do you really think I can be that good an actress?" she said half-jokingly. Now that she knew exactly what went on, she couldn't even think of having to look at Pietro's face ever again. How could he dare to do that? The nerve he has!

"You gotta give it your best shot, ma vie. Just the two of us, you being pregnant, me being this weak after your kiss. I don't think it would be wise to try to confront all the other mutants."

"Ok, sugar." She sighed heavily. She knew they had no other alternative. "This has to work out, honey. I can't bear to imagine us having to stick around here. Being away from our friends… having our children here with these weirdoes around… it's just not an option."

"I know, chère. Trust me; it will all work out just fine." He wasn't completely honest when he said those words. He was not sure they would be out of the asteroid that easily, but he had to assure her everything was going to be alright. He knew his words could resonate with her and soothe her agonizing heart.

They both heard the guards moaning which meant it was high time for her to go.

"Sugar, do you really want me to go back to that creep?" She asked him exasperated. He held her hand through the bars and helped her up.

"Oui, chère. I wish we had another choice. So remember, the day after tomorrow, Wolverine will be arriving. You try to meet up with the newcomers, he'll be among them. Then, when you two get together, you guys come here, release me and we'll fight off these bastards."

"Ok, sugar. What about the others? Do you think they won't find a way to come?"

"Je ne sais pas, chère. But we have to work with what we have now, eh?"

"You're right. I love you, my pretty boy."

"Love you too, chére. More than you'll ever know."

"Oh, I know, sugar. You're here inside my head."

She winked at him and he smiled at her. Stepping away, his lady blew him a kiss and then, flew away.

X X X X

As the first days since Rogue's kidnapping passed by in the mansion, the tension was getting overwhelming as the X-Men's hopes of finding a way of reaching her were getting dimmer.

Finally, after three days of intense search with the help of Cerebro, Professor Xavier could tune in with Rogue's mind. But as she was not her usual self, and given the distance that separated them, it was hard to establish a safe connection through which Xavier could actually speak to her mentally and, more importantly, determine where exactly she was.

What he could do, though, was to imply thoughts in her head, succeeding in making her realize that her make-believe life there was incomplete. He tried to appeal for the strongest feeling he knew she had, her love for Gambit. However, he couldn't be sure if that was having any effect.

Adding to his lack of communication with Rogue, he was not able to determine the asteroid's exact position. Magneto's mind was protected from his attempts of connection by his helmet, specially designed for that purpose. About the other residents of the asteroid, he didn't know exactly why he couldn't get through to them. Jean and Xavier imagined some telepath was with them making some sort of shield against other telepaths. If only they were not that distant, there'd probably be no mental barrier that could keep them out.

What the Professor did manage to do though was to contact Lilandra who was telepathically linked to Charles Xavier and bound to him on a deep level.

Lilandra is the Empress of the Shi'ar Empire. One year before, she had sought out the help of Professor Xavier and his X-Men to help her defeat her evil brother D'Ken. During the short time they shared alone, Xavier and Lilandra quickly fell in love and eventually managed to defeat D'Ken. When Lilandra became the new heir to the Shi'ar throne, she thanked Xavier for his help and asked him if he wanted to join her, but he declined to do this for as long as there was no peace between mankind and mutants, he had to remain in Earth, fighting for this cause.

So this time around, he thought it was only fair that he'd go and ask for her help in this difficult time. She agreed to send him one of her guards and a spaceship that could take him and his X-Men safely to the asteroid M.

Days later, Jubilee bursts into the danger room, interrupting Beast and Cyclops' training session.

"Guys! Guys! The professor has just contacted Rogue. She's not hypnotized anymore. Gambit is there at the asteroid too."

"Really? That's great! So do we know where the asteroid is located?" Cyclops asked just after he turned off the training program.

"Yes, it looks like it. Now, we are totally going to rescue them, right? Yaaaay! I just can't wait!"

"Would you be able to tell us, little one, if Remy and Rogue are being treated fairly?"

"Well, Beast, I guess, from what I've heard, that Gambit is in prison."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Cyclops said with a grin. "Let's not waste a minute! We'll go there and bring them back. Where are the others, Jubilee?"

"Everyone else is in the meeting room and ready to leave. Kitty and me, we'll be able to go too, right?"

"Surely, Jubilee. We'll need all the help we can possibly get." Beast told her.

X X X X

'Wolverine, my friend, where are you?' The powerful telepath had invaded his mind. The feeling was so familiar, he didn't even get startled anymore.

'Professor, I'm with a group of mutants who are going to travel to the asteroid M. Gambit and I, we planned this. I told these people here that I'm sick and tired with life on Earth and being mistreated for being a mutant and claimed I'd like to join Magneto and his so-called dream society of mutants. So, I'm bound to take off in a day.'

'Hmmm, I see. I'm contacting you because I've found a way to take us all to the asteroid. With the help of Lilandra, and also Rogue, we'll be able to get there easily. I thought you would like to know that and maybe join us. But if you suddenly change your mind, it will sound suspicions, won't it?'

'Yeah, Chuck. I guess so.'

'So let's just leave things the way they are. I'm departing with the X-Men in an hour. I hope to see you there, then.'

'Oh, I don't believe it. You guys will actually get there before I do…' He couldn't help his frustration as he groaned loudly.

"Hey, man. What's up? Any problem?" a mutant who was passing by him asked.

"Huh? Well, no, man. All good. Thanks for asking."

'That was close, Logan. Keep focused.' Charles said before breaking his mental connection with Wolverine.

X X X X

"Hello again, my dear wife." He asked with a velvet voice. "Are you sleeping already?" Quicksilver asked as he pulled up the duvet and lay in bed next to her. She was on her side, a pillow under her big belly. She had her back to him.

She remained silent, pretending to be asleep to avoid further contact with him. She didn't want to have to kiss him good night, speak to him, or even look at him for that matter.

Only she knew how much it took her to go back to his room and act as if she were still hypnotized.

'I wish I could be by his side now.' She thought closing her eyes fiercely. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take.'


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – I'm an X-Men, Get me out of here!

The journey to the asteroid had been smoother than they had anticipated at first. Thanks to Lilandra's spaceship, it took them less time than it would if they had chosen any other means of transport that Magneto had available for himself and his followers.

While they were traveling through space, Charles Xavier and Rogue had continued to communicate telepathically.

Once Quicksilver was fast asleep, she managed to leave their room and fly silently through the corridor until she found what she'd been meaning to.

"Professor, here it is. I'm looking at a floor plan that's affixed to the wall in case of an emergency. I guess it can help you guys."

"That's excellent, Rogue, my dear. It's more than we could have wished for. Also, if you could mentally give me a tour of the asteroid and show me what you know about it and possible alternative routes…"

She tried her best to guide him mentally through the asteroid. After their little mind linking session, it was agreed that they'd meet about two hours later at the observation deck.

Feeling relieved that she'd finally done something palpable that could save them from that pitiful situation; she turned around and flew as slowly and quietly as she could manage towards 'her' bedroom, only to find Pietro standing by the door. He'd been watching her all the while.

"My dear wife, sleeping walking now, are you?" He asked her in suspicion.

It couldn't possibly be any more obvious that she was up to no good and, of course, Pietro knew it. He held her arms and shook her.

"What were you doing out there, huh?" He demanded.

"Hey, let go of me! What do you think you are doing?" She said, frowning at him? "Are you being violent to your pregnant wife?"

He let go of her arms immediately.

"Why were you standing alone in the corridor looking at a floor plan, huh? I could see you were concentrating on something."

"You know what? Enough of this bullshit! I'll just spill the beans. Yes, I was contacting my friends. Because guess what? Now I know your dirty little secret… my husband." She spoke defiantly.

"Rogue, about that, I can explain… I... can we talk?" his tone of voice changed from grave to a much lighter one.

"You lied to me, Pietro. You made a real fool out of me. You used me! I don't think I have to take any more crap from you. In fact, you should be apologizing and even trying to help me find a way out of here."

"What? Are you crazy? And go against my father? Never! Rogue, please, be reasonable. What kind of future can your guy give to you? Will you have your kids and still be a runaway? 'Cause, that's what's going to happen if you stick with him. He's a thief, a criminal. You deserve better than that. I could be better than him. Why don't you consider… us? I mean, I am truly fond of you. And all this time, we've been good together, right? We could work things out, the two of us, you see…"

"Good together? Pietro, you're as crazy as your father! We were living a lie! I was hypnotized. How can you think that we were a couple? I was your rag doll! I was not myself! You manipulated me and there's simply no way I'll take that lightly." She paused and took a deep breath. "Listen, I'm in love with Gambit, ok? I'm his! No one else's! And besides, even if he was out of the picture, I'd never be yours! You lied to me, manipulated my thoughts. That's evil! You don't do that to people!"

"Rogue, please. Give me a chance."

"Pietro, it was all a lie. You probably don't love me either. You just think you have to go along with your father's evil plan. But you could prove you're better than that by helping me get Gambit and leave the asteroid safely."

"Rogue, I… I know what I feel for you is real. I'm sorry, Rogue. But I won't do that. I won't help you get away from me. "

"Well, you're either with me or against me."

"You leave me no choice, then."

X X X X

"Yes! We finally made it! This is it, isn't it?"

"Yes, Jubilee. Here we are. But, the question is, where is Rogue?" Cyclops asked looking around and walking cautiously.

"As I feared, something or someone must have detained her." Beast answered. "Professor, what can you tell us? Can you reach her?"

"Hey, you guys. I don't think we'll have much time for conversation right now." Kitty said with an alarmed expression on her face.

The guards of the asteroid had just arrived to greet them. It looked like they were not about to be very welcoming…It all started very quickly. There was not much time for explanations. Nobody even asked what they were doing there, they were immediately interpreted as intruders.

Colossus was the first to fight back, taking on three mutants. As usual, he tried not to hurt his opponents, but they didn't seem too keen to let things go that easily.

Cyclops used this optic blast against two other mutants while Jubilee promptly generated her blinding and explosive energy "fireworks" to disperse some newly-arrived reinforcement guards.

"I sincerely thought that Magneto would hold a better reception party for us." Jean said as she joined the rest of her team for a fabulous counter-attack.

'Storm, I need your help elsewhere.' The Professor's voice was inside the mind of the Weather Goddess. 'I want you to try to find Rogue and Gambit. Do you think you could do that?'

'Sure, professor. I'm onto it.' She replied.

Storm took off and left behind her the combat scene. Flying off through the maze that place was, Storm tried to find the corridor which led to the bedrooms without much success. Trying as hard as she could to visualize the map the Professor had drawn of that place, she kept on flying around, forming a mist around her in an attempt to camouflage herself, blending in with her surroundings.

Then, suddenly, she remembered where she was, she was near the place Rogue had told the professor. The place where they keep their prisoners. By now, both Rogue and Gambit could only be there, she thought. Blinding the guards with a thick mist, she entered the place without much impediment.

"Gambit? Rogue? Are you two there?" she asked in a low reluctant voice.

"Storm? Is that you?" her friend's voice came from the far end of the corridor.

"Gambit! Are you alone? Is Rogue not with you?"

"No, she's not. Why? Why do you ask? Have you not found her? Is she in danger?"

Finally, she reached him. She shook her head when she saw the state he was in.

"Gambit, my friend, I can't help it but find it funny seeing you locked up. Has someone finally managed to create a door that you can't open?"

"Well, let's just say that Magneto must have learned a thing or two from me. And, also, my powers are off and I don't know why. I'm not wearing any collar…"

"Magneto must have used the same technology Sinister has used back there in the Savage Land."

"That's what I thought too. But, Rogue's powers worked here and so have yours."

"Well, then, there must be some kind of device either on you or on your cell…"

They didn't have the time to analyze any other possible reason for him being powerless, as Rogue burst into the place, walking in a weird fast fashion, rage in her eyes, and her hands were clenched.

Running as fast as the flash of light, she shouted out unintelligible words.

"Rogue, what's wrong with you? It's us!" Storm tried.

Finally, Rogue's words were pronounced more clearly. "I'm gonna kill you! You told her about the hypnosis! You!" And with that, she ran blindingly fast towards his prison cell.

"Oh great! That's all we needed! Rogue has absorbed Pietro's powers and psyche and now she wants to kill the father of her children…" Storm assumed, and she was right. Moments earlier, after confronting Pietro, Rogue grasped the chance of revenge she had and agreed to give him a last kiss.

It hadn't been a kiss as those she gives Remy, oh no! She betrayed him with a kiss. At first, she pretended to be forgiving, sealing with a kiss to show her agreement to a cease-fire but while she was at it, she discreetly opened her power-negating necklace and sucked as much of his powers as she could. When he fell into unconsciousness, she finally let go of him.

Leaving him numb on the floor, she fled from the bedroom and went straight after Gambit, possessed as she was by Quicksilver's thoughts. The adrenaline running through her veins gave her even more power and she managed to break the bars and set Gambit free.

Seeing her transfigured by rage, Gambit said. "Chére, thanks for opening up the door for me. It's usually I who get to do that for you. And, oh, I missed you too!"

"Ha! Ha! Very funny, Remy. Don't tease the monster. Let's try to calm her down instead, shall we?" Storm expressed her disapproval. Holding Rogue by the arms, which were both covered in a long-sleeved top, she spoke with an angel's voice.

"Anna, sweetie. Calm down, you are not Pietro, right? You are Anna Marie, Gambit's girl, mom to be of two. You don't hate this man in front of you. You love him."

"Arggggggggggh! Get out of my head!" Rogue screamed. Her first own attempt to get back control of her own mind.

"Ok, she's… er… getting better. Let's just grab her and go! When I left the others, a mini-war was breaking out. By the way, are your powers on already? Because it would be very helpful if they were."

"It seems so, mon ami." He replied with a grin and a flaming card in his hand. "Where's her necklace?"

"I don't know. She was not wearing it... Obviously."

"I'll go back and get it!"

"No, Gambit, no time for that. We really need you right now."

"It won't be a moment. She'll need it if she eventually goes into labor. It's twins, mon ami. I guess now that she's in her last trimester, it can happen at any time. We can't be sure, don't you think? I'll meet you in a second. You girls can go ahead."

"Are you sure? You'll probably meet Pietro there. Do you promise me you won't try to kill him or something?"

"Of course, I won't and besides, ma belle must have left him quasi mort…"

"Ok, then. You go there. You'll know where to meet us. Just follow the sound of the thunder." She blinked at him and then rushed away.

When the two women finally joined the rest of the X-Men team, hell was breaking loose. There were so many people fighting, that it made it hard to locate all their team members.

All of a sudden, the chaos was replaced by deep silence. Magneto's followers stopped all attacks at their leader's command. The master of magnetism arrived, followed by his daughter Wanda./

"Stop! That's not the way we greet our friends over here. Haven't I taught you good manners? Haven't I explained the rules of the asteroid?" Magneto spoke slowly, his voice as imposing as his presence itself.

"But Master, they arrived without authorization. They didn't come with one of the shipments. We were told that whenever we have non-authorized visitors, we should…" one of the guards humbly said./

"Enough. I don't want to hear your silly explanations. Now, Charles Xavier, to what do I owe you this unprompted visit?"

"Cut this cynicism, Magneto. You know damn well why we are here!" Cyclops intervened.

"Scott! Let me handle this. Erik, when you were in need, we welcomed you at our place, we treated you and this is the compensation I get from you? You kidnapped my X-Men, Rogue on a date that was dearest and special to us, on the wedding day of my two former students, Jean and Scott Summers."

"Charles, I…"

"Listen, I didn't come here for this, we didn't come here to fight."

"Yeah, right!" Jubilee snorted. Getting reproaching looks from her fellow team members, she murmured. "What?"

"As I was saying, we don't want to fight but we had to defend ourselves against your supporters. We only came here, Magnus, to bring Rogue back."

"Well, so there you go, there she is. She doesn't seem to have enjoyed her stay here as much as we thought she would."

"Is that it? Are you going to take his crap, prof?" Jubilee said.

"I have to agree with the annoying little girl on this one, professor. This guy is unbelievable!" Cyclops said while pointing accusingly at Magneto.

"Magnus, you have to give me your word that you won't try to kidnap Rogue and Gambit's kids once they are born."

"Professor, and since when is this guy's word something to be trusted?" Cyclops said.

A moment of silence followed. What Cyclops voiced was, in fact, everyone else's opinion. Magneto has proved over time that he is not to be trusted. Someone, in this case, them, the X-Men, should stop him. They should be wrecking that asteroid so that he couldn't go ahead with his plans. And, unbelievably, instead of doing so, Charles Xavier tried to negotiate a peaceful reconciliation between him and Magneto.

On the other side of the room, Rogue seemed to have snapped out of Pietro's thoughts completely when she asked out loud.

"Hey, where's Gambit?"

And Wanda asked, almost in unison, from the far corner of the room "Where's my brother?"

It turned out that unlike Professor X, Gambit was not taking such a forgiving and peaceful approach to the whole event and was nearly killing Pietro back in the little prince's bedroom. Anger boiled in his veins, he was determined to teach the man who dared to threaten to destroy everything he holds dear single-handedly. That man, he had to teach him a lesson. Quicksilver's pretty fantasy was all but gone now. Pietro was lying nearly unconscious on the floor when Rogue and Wanda came in.

"Sugar! What are you doing? You're going to kill him!"

"That's the spirit, chére."

"Gambit, please, I know that what he did to you was not right, but you've got to let this go. Please, don't kill my brother."

"Sugar, come on! Prove to me that you are better than this and just let this go. Is that the kind of man you want to be for your kids?"

She had spoken the magic words. They resonated profoundly with him, and he felt embarrassed even for his vengeful behavior. He let the flaming card he was holding tightly in his left hand fall down, uncharged, and looked at the woman he loved with shining eyes.

"I'm sorry, chére. I almost let the old me take control. I… I'm sorry I let you down. It's just that… I hate him so much for taking you away from me. How could anyone think it was okay to kidnap a pregnant woman? He's done the worst thing anyone could have done to me. I can't bear living without you by my side… I…"

Rogue slowly stepped her way in his direction. Gently, her hands held his face. She looked at him, her heart was bursting with love and compassion.

"Just don't say another word, sugar. I can only imagine what you went through. While I never noticed anything wrong, you must have been through hell, I can imagine. I can't picture myself without you either."

As they had their eyes locked up, they didn't even notice Wanda helping her brother out and leaving the room quietly. Gambit moved away from Rogue for a second to reach out for her necklace.

"Here, mon amour. I want to kiss you. Please, let me put this back on for you. I'm so relieved that we are all going to be going home now safely. "

After putting on her necklace for her, he kissed the back of her neck lightly and then, turned to face her. He held her face in his, and brushed her lips with his thumbs, grinning sexily at her.

His mere touch aroused a million emotions and feelings in her. She looked deeply into his red eyes, and then, closed her own in anticipation. He gently bit down on her lower lip and looked up at her. She smiled at what he did but kept her eyes closed. Sucking on the bottom lip, he took the moment to taste her, to take in her smell. Feeling so in love, he felt like taking her right there and then. Instead, he kissed her full on the mouth only to be taken aback by her impulsive reaction.

She corned him and pushed him to the bed. Removing his shirt in a rush, she had him lie down on his back. She proceeded to straddle him while he started kissing whatever part of her body he could reach, arms and hands, even the top of her bump while softly licking breathing where he'd kissed. She was getting cold shivers all over her spine and feeling seriously aroused. She had just placed her hands on the top of the headboard to stabilize her hugely pregnant self when they heard a knock on the door.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, literally! I can't believe you guys are at it! We're fucking waiting for you!" Wolverine said as he entered the room, covering his eyes not to see that scene any longer than he had already seen.

"What? Why? How long has it been?" Rogue asked him as she climbed down her lover's body clumsily.

"Enough time so that those morons would sort everything out peacefully."

"Not getting much luck recently, huh? Always late, mon ami… that way you never get to join us in the fun part, while we were kicking some asses!"

"Tell me about it! I've seen what you did to Pietro. The fucker came crying for daddy. Well, let's get going, you two."

"Hey, wait a second!" Rogue spoke hurriedly as she felt a gush of fluid running down her legs. Her face went pale white. "I guess I just wet my pants. How embarrassing! I feel so ashamed." She said as she examined her wet clothes.

"Chére, I guess you didn't do it in your pants, remember what we learned in those pre-natal classes? I guess your waters just broke!"

"My what? Oh my God! Oh my God! You must be right! This is it, isn't it? I don't want to have my babies here, sugar. I don't! I want to go home first."

"Cajun, carry the girl in your arms. Let's rush. We'll see with Beast what we can do about it, Rogue. Let's see what he says. I hope you don't have to give birth here.

"Ok, Wolvie. I hope so too."


	30. The Last One

The most awaited and feared moment had arrived. Upon being informed of the recent turn of events, Beast went to Magneto and asked him for supplies and equipment he would need in case Rogue needed any intervention during her labor. In the end, the fact that they were all able to sort out their differences in a somewhat diplomatic way worked out to their advantage. The doctor could still make requests to his untrustworthy host and get what he asked for. They certainly did not need any major drama at such an important time.

Making sure he had everything he could possibly need, he rushed back to join the rest of the group who waited for him impatiently near their space shuttle, or whatever they called that in the Shiar Empire.

With each of Rogue's contractions came a pain that she never knew existed and it dominated her entire being. In those moments, she felt like seconds stretched into eternity. It was her, her babies, and the power of nature, nothing else around her mattered.

"My dear friend, don't be nervous. You have to assure her rather than put her in chaotic despair. Be the soothing voice in the back of her head." Beast whispered to the very freaked out father-to-be.

"Mc Coy, do you really think we'll make it back home in time for… you know…?" He asked his blue-furred friend, looking at him with those red pleading eyes.

"As I told you before, Gambit. There's a big chance we will be in the mansion before your babies are born. Most labors take several hours, especially for a first-time mom. In fact, some may take days, even. Lilandra's ship can make it back in about eight hours, therefore, I believe chances are high that your babies will be born in the comfort of our home."

"Thanks, Beast. That's all I wanted to hear. Even if you're lying to me, at least, that will get me through this."

"You're more than welcome, my friend. That was not a lie, though. Now, what I need you to do is go back to your… er… Rogue and time her contractions. That will be your first duty as a father. We have to know how long each contraction is lasting. That means timing them from beginning to end. A typical contraction in early labor is about 30 seconds long. Also, we have to know how long apart is one contraction from the other." Realizing Gambit was dumbstruck with terror, and probably didn't understand a single word the good doctor was explaining, he paused to think of a better way to rephrase that.

"You see, don't worry about it. I'll help you with the timing. There are many other details I should tell you about, but we'll take it step by step, okay? I'll tell you about the relevant information as we go." He patted his back as they entered the spaceship. The weight of Beast's hand on his shoulder seemed to be as heavy as the world. What he was feeling, in fact, was the weight of his responsibility from now on. That new role was going to be the hardest he would have to perform in his life, he knew it. And his first duties were already presenting themselves to him. It was a bit overwhelming, certainly not as much as it was for his lover right at that moment.

"What!? Henry Mc Coy, are you telling me I'll dilate about 1 cm each HOOOOOOOOUR? That is if I'm lucky? Remy, make it stop! I want these babies out! NOOOOOOOOOW!"

When the pain passed it was only for about a minute or so, and she exhaled deeply with closed eyes, unwilling to re-engage with life outside of her own body. She was calm, focused, and centered. However, every time a contraction came, chaos would ensue and nobody in that ship had any means to escape that situation.

There would be a lot of agitation, shouting, some swearing even – Rogue is a southern belle, not prone to swearing that much – and the poor Cajun, as vulnerable as one can be, simply didn't know what to do. At first, he tried those breathing and relaxation techniques they had practiced together months before, in preparation for that special occasion. However, whenever he tried, he was simply shut down and was verbally abused by the woman he loved most in the whole world. He could swear to God, that was not the woman he knew.

"Go to hell, Remy! Screw this! Breathe in, breathe out, my ass! I wish it were you and not me giving birth, then we'd see how relaxed you could be."

"Gee, I thought Rogue would be much more tolerable to pain than that." Jean whispered to Cyclops.

"Hey, you! I heard that! Fuck you too, ginger!" she shouted at the red-head instantly.

"Does labor give a woman the Tourette's syndrome? It surely does look like it!" Jean commented under her breath.

"Good Lord, dear. Calm down." Storm tried to help too. Standing opposite Gambit, she caressed her maddened friend's hair lovingly. She had seen the older women in her village care for women in labor many times and she decided to assume the role of Doula. Rogue accepted her gesture gladly. Ororo had fairy hands! She massaged Anna's lower back flooding her friend's body with pleasant sensations so that her brain wouldn't perceive the painful sensations as much. Gambit smiled at Ororo and mouthed her a 'thank you'. He gently bent down over the mother of his babies and covered her lips with sweet little pecks.

The situation seemed under control until...

"Mmmm… mmm… Stop it, Remy! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Ma princesse, I…"

"If you had left me the fuck alone in the fuckin' Savage Land, I wouldn't… ARRRGHH!"

She had to pull the classic 'This is all your fault' stunt. The Cajun would just look around and smile at everyone slightly embarrassed and apologetic. Beast had told him before not to get offended over anything she said at that stage. Apparently, that was normal!

Wolverine looked out of the window, wishing that he could just jump off the spaceship. That was so much more than his patience allowed him to handle. In the far corner sat Jubilee and Kitty. They were talking in whispers.

"Man, that is the most shocking sexual education class ever. I never want to have sex in my whole life!"

"Oh, but maybe, having sex with Gambit is worth it. I bet it is." Jubilee sighed, then Kitty smacked her friend's forehead.

"Would you stop that?"

"Would you not do it for Piotr? Of course, you would. You say that now when it's hard to even think through all this screaming…" she smirked at Kitty.

Rogue's yelling had ceased for a moment.

"Oh My! That was an intense one! Sorry you guys, if I offended anyone. It's just that when contractions come..."

"Ma belle! It's good to have you back. It seems like you have a double personality right now. You break my heart when you say those things to Gambit, huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sugar. Just ignore it, ok? I love you so much! You know it…" He hugged her in a sweet embrace. Softly caressing her face, he kissed her gently. Feeling her sweet lips over his, he sighed as he went on kissing her. Her breathing started accelerating, when, all of a sudden their lips parted abruptly.

"Oh fuck! Fuuuuck! Damn it! Remy, why? Why? Why did you do this to me?" She pulled his body armor and brought him closer. "Why, honey? Why?"

"And, here we go again…" Beast calmly said.

And the journey went on that way. With Rogue's contractions dictating everyone's mood, they crossed the space swiftly. And by now, approximately thirty minutes before arrival, the interval between them was shorter and shorter and inevitably, there came the moment everyone was dreading: Time to push!

"Rogue, my dear friend, you are fully dilated now. It is important to push only when there is a uterine contraction. Pushing at any other time is ineffective and only serves to sap your precious energy. The push should be as hard and as long as possible during the contraction, ok dear?"

She simply nodded. Gambit was visibly nervous, he wrapped his long strong arms around her. Kissing the top of her head, he said: "Chére, I'm here with you. We are doing this. You can do this, ok?"

She looked at him cheerfully for the first time during that process.

"Yes, we are, sugar. We can do this." She smiled at him. "Oh my God!"

"Time to push!" Beast said.

"AAARGH!"

"Jesus! We are almost home, we could be spared of this! If only the babies would wait just a bit more." Kitty said with a groan.

"And miss this? This is beautiful! This is the miracle of life!" Storm said, approaching the girls and sat by them. She had tears in her eyes.

Several minutes passed by, everyone remained in silence. The sound of Rogue's moaning and groaning added to Remy's assuring words filled the spaceship. Then, with a guttural grunt, Anna pushed hard when her body told her to. It was miraculous, nobody had to teach her or dictate instructions. It was nature's call, she just felt like doing it. She felt the baby crowning, the hot stretching of flesh, and held her breath. Without any further effort, the baby slid into Ororo's hands who assumed the role of a midwife. There was elation, a baby was out at last, and in seconds he was there, nascent eyes opening, mouth rooting for his mama's milk. They were about to land when the newborn baby's very first cry dominated all ears.

"Our baby, chére! Our first baby is here!" The new father couldn't hold back tears of joy while he kissed her forehead tenderly. "You did it, chére! This is amazing!"

"And it's a boy!" Beast declared with a smile.

A burst of excited voices exploded. The X-Men hugged each other in celebration of the baby boy's birth. There was applause too. A new member of the family they had all become had just been born. That baby was one of them, certainly a mutant. A child conceived through love that they had seen arise and blossom. Professor Xavier was the only one who kept silent, sporting a huge smile stretched over his face. As a proud grandfather, the wise guardian of that bunch of people, he contemplated his beloved students' display of affection.

"We are about to land. Please, take your seats, everyone." The Shiar Empire guard announced.

Beast bent down and whispered in Rogue's ears.

"Rogue, dear, do you want to push for the other one in the mansion? We can rush you in and have the labor resume inside. I have all the equipment necessary in there, everything had already been prepared for you to give birth safely to your babies. What do you think?"

"Can it wait?" Her voice was barely audible as she was completely exhausted. That could be taken as a 'yes', so Gambit and Beast rushed her into the mansion as soon as the ship touched the ground while the others slowly made their way inside.

An hour later, Gambit emerged from the mansion medical facility with a huge smile stamped on his face. All his team members had been waiting impatiently for news outside.

"Mes amis, c'est une fille!" The proud father said, reaching for his pocket, he grabbed a box of cigars and started handing them out to the men.

"Say what?" Jubilee asked with indignation in her voice. "Would anyone tell him to speak English?"

"He said it's a girl, Jubilee." Storm replied calmly.

"So it's one of each? A boy and a girl? Ohhh, that's so cute!" Kitty remarked. The teenager clapped her hands in excitement.

"Do I really have to smoke this?" Colossus asked.

"Well, yes, it's a tradition over here." Kitty answered without paying much attention. She had shining eyes, and couldn't hold back a shy single tear of joy. "This is so adorable! We all have two babies to love and spoil now."

As Wolverine got his own cigar, he said:

"Cigars, Remy? Really? Were you born in the 1930s, man?"

"Come on, mon ami! C'est la tradición!"

"Just winding you up, Cajun. Come here, you dirty thief! Congratulations!" He stood up and hugged Mr. Le Beau.

"OK, I have to say I'm shocked at Wolverine's display of affection!" Cyclops declared.

"Deep inside, he's a very caring man, Scott." Professor X explained.

"So that must very, very, very deep inside." Cyclops snorted back at him.

"Ok, guys! Time's up for me! I gotta go back inside and see how Storm and Beast are treating my offspring. And, of course, to check on ma belle."

"Oh, Gambit, won't you bring the babies here for us to see them?" Kitty asked with a cooing voice.

"All in good time, petite."

X X X X

Hours later, the brand new mother was in her quiet room, gently holding one of her babies in her arm. An explosion of emotions threatened to overwhelm her, but they were mainly good ones. Joy, happiness, relief all of the bad that happened in Asteroid M, it was all a distant memory. Now, she had the ultimate prize right in front of her, her babies. She sighed in content. Her baby smelled so good, she breathed in deeply. A reflex seemed to take her over. It was even stronger than the urge to sniff a sweet-smelling rose. That scent made her feel so good, she was so absorbed in her feelings of love for her baby that she didn't notice when he knocked on the door.

"Chére, can I come in?" Remy asked when he didn't get a reply from her.

"Of course, sugar." Her muffled voice replied from the other side of their bedroom door. She had previously requested some time to be alone with her babies, to get to know them better. Even Remy was left out for a while. But that had been necessary, she needed to rest and contemplate the changes in herself after giving birth to their babies. And what else could give her more peace of mind than being left to care for her twins in the quietness of her room?

"Chére, are you doing alright? Is everything fine? Is there anything at all that I could do for you?" He anxiously asked her, making sure he spoke in a low voice, almost whispering. He didn't want to disturb the beautiful ambiance of their room. Apparently, the baby girl was sleeping peacefully in her bassinet while Rogue was feeding her brother.

That scene was breathtaking. He felt tears of joy pooling in his eyes as he watched her serenity and absolute beauty. She looked so angelical and tranquil as she breastfed their son who looked at his mother adoringly in response. His vivid dark blue eyes were fixed to his mom's. They seemed to be able to speak a language only both of them could understand.

"He'll probably grow to have your eyes. I've read babies' eyes only define their color later on. Well, that obviously didn't apply to me, and neither it does to her. These telltale eyes of mine were red from birth… That's why my mom abandoned me, or so I was told."

Rogue didn't say anything in response and continued her task with an untroubled expression on her face.

"Do you think she'll face the same problems I did? Because of her eyes?"

"Of course not, sugar. She'll be loved and cherished by all of us. Besides…" She looked at him for the first time since he came in. "these eyes of yours have always been a huge turn on to me." She smiled at him sexily. He chuckled lightly at her.

That was perfect, she made him the happiest man in the world.

"I love you, chére."

"I love you too, my red-eyed hottie." She giggled a bit. "Humm, guess someone is full and getting sleepy." She straightened up her body, sitting upright. Holding her baby against her chest, he gently patted on his back until he burped. She rocked him, not for long, until he drifted into sleep. Remy watched the scene in silence. Profound admiration shone through his eyes. Then a realization hit him hard when he saw her kiss their baby before laying him down to sleep.

'Mon Dieu! She's not wearing her collar! How come!?'

Still having her back to him, she spoke softly to him. "We have to discuss baby names now, don't we, honey?" Frozen as he was, he didn't respond.

She then turned to him and realized his panic-stricken face.

"What is it, sugar? What's wrong?" She asked him with the tone of voice of an angel, a far cry from that woman who had told to fuck himself while in labor hours before.

"Er… er… nothing. There's this thing I should do... er... I have to go… to go and see Beast."

"Right now? So why did you come to see me now if you're leaving like this so soon? Don't you want to spend time with them?"

He didn't want to have her touch him, in case she was able to touch the babies only, that would send the message home and maybe, she'd be horrified that she had endangered her newborn babies.

"Of course, I want to be with you, my loves. I'll be back in a second, ok, chére? I promise. It's… I just remembered something I have to discuss with him as soon as possible."

"So tell me what it is!" She demanded, she already knew something was going on. But instead of obeying her, he simply told her he loved her and gave her a little kiss. Ignoring for a moment the fact she was not wearing her power neglecting collar, she brushed his lips softly against hers for a brief moment, and, she didn't harm him.

"I love you, mon coeur. I'll be back soon."

"I love you too, sugar. With all my heart."

X X X X

When Gambit finally found Beast, he was having cookies in the kitchen and talking to Professor X and Jean. Not in the mood or position to keep secrets at that point, Gambit told them everything that had happened.

"Well, Gambit, you wouldn't believe it, but I was actually talking about that!"

"Come again!? You knew about it and you didn't do anything?"

"I had seen that happen too. I saw her when she was holding her babies after she had a shower and was taking her time before she headed to your bedroom. She had removed the collar and when she came back from the bathroom, she was holding one of them."

"By the way, have you decided their names?" Jean interrupted.

"Shut up, red. Now is not the time! Go on, Hank." Remy urged.

"Well, I realized she would not hurt them even without her collar and came up with a theory."

"Theory? Did you make a decision regarding my children's safety based on a theory? Do you think she lost her powers or something? Maybe they are temporarily off. We have to be cautious! What if she accidentally hurts one of them, she wouldn't forgive herself."

"Exactly! She would never forgive herself for that. Which means that she loves them so much that she could never bring herself to harm them."

"And where do you want to go with that?"

"Love, Remy! That is the answer and has always been. I feel so dumb for never thinking of that!"

"Are you implying that she doesn't love me enough? Because she has sucked my powers many times before."

"Gambit, when she did…er… suck your powers, as you say, she was in denial. She loved you but was confused, she didn't want to sustain that feeling. That was at the beginning of your relationship, remember?"

"Hmmm, yes."

"And the last times she did that to you, she did it because you asked her too. As in the asteroid M, as she later told me."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Well, we had plenty of time alone when you were celebrating your brand-new fatherhood with the others."

"But you said that's your theory. We can't really be sure of it, mon ami."

"You're quite right, my friend. And that's why I was going to talk to both of you and, if you agree, we can run some tests in the safety of the medical facility. Jean had just agreed to do her first babysitting." Jean smiled at Gambit.

"You'd better start apologizing, Gambit." She said. He sneered at her and then, turned his attention back to Beast.

"So, do you think she'll be able to master control over her powers?" Professor Xavier asked Beast.

"Well, I think, with some practice, focusing on her feelings and her will of not hurting people, she will surely be able to touch each single one of us and even strangers. But as for known enemies, I think there's not much hope." He laughed.

And Beast had been right in every single one of his assumptions. The tests were made and she discovered she could touch Gambit. They were both thrilled at the news. All she had to do was to bring to her mind how much she loved that man and she managed to touch him for as long as she wanted without sucking the life out of him.

With time, all her friends could be hugged and kissed by her and she stopped wearing her gloves in the mansion.

X X X X

Later, on that very same day she gave birth to the twins, she made her way to the game room looking for her longtime friend slash father figure. She found him playing snooker.

"Hey there, Wolvie."

"Fuck! I knew it! I should've placed a bet on it!"

"What? I haven't said anything yet!"

"I know what you want, and you can have it. But with one condition, I want to be the godfather of one of the kids."

"Fine!"

He placed his palm in hers and she started absorbing him. As Wolverine predicted, she wanted his healing factor to get as good as new after giving birth. She knew she had options, so she simply wanted to be well for, well, everything.

After the curing process was complete, and Wolverine was looking fairly better, kissed her friend on his cheek, and thanked him again. Skipping her way out of the game area, she spoke in the baby monitor she was carrying around.

"Honey, as you've probably heard, he agreed. So wait for me. I want to make sweet love to you tonight, sugar."

X X X X

After making love, they went to the roof of the house, taking their baby monitor with them. They sat under the moonlight, Gambit was holding her tightly in his arms.

"So chére, are you sure about this? Are those the names we are giving to our children?"

"Yes, sugar. Why are you asking this again? Don't you like them?"

"I love them. They represent their origins, us and our story, of how we fought to be together. I fought myself to be with you and sweet victories like those, just don't happen every day."

"C'est vrai, ma princesse. Victor and Victoria are perfect names. I hope they are happy with them." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Have I told you how much je t'aime?"

She smiled broadly. "Yes, you have! A million times! And I am so thankful, sugar. Thankful for your love, for your courage to stick around even when we had all odds against us. Because before you, I was on the verge of killing myself. My life was so empty, so meaningless. Being unable to touch people, it felt as if I was completely alone, locked inside my own body. I thought I could never be touched. I was so numb, I just couldn't feel, I refused to feel."

"And I have always been a womanizer because I thought if I ever fell in love, that would only bring out a vulnerable side of me. I wanted to be in full control all the time."

"We were so sad, weren't we? I felt I would never be someone's person, I'd never be that important to anyone at all. I put up that façade of being strong and immune to love. But you, you showed me anything is possible. And we've made it, honey! We've made it, we have one another now, and our children. I'm so happy. I couldn't be any happier than this."

"Oui, chére. Me neither. So l'amour, huh? Who knew it? The secret was all safely kept and locked inside you all the time. Love was the answer to all our prayers, ok yours, then mine. When I first laid my eyes on you and then learned about your powers, I saw how sad and secluded you were, I knew then I would give all my gold just to touch you, risk my life for that if that's what it took, even if for just a second, just one kiss."

"Now you can keep all your gold! You can get my kisses whenever you want." She said between giggles.

"Well, not all my gold, cause I've spent some of it to buy this for you." He finally got to show her the ring he bought her all that time ago. "Will you marry me, Anna Marie? Will you be my Mrs. Le Beau? The one and only? The one I truly chose to be my wife?"

Hot tears of happiness rolled down her cheek, but she smiled at the same time.

"Remy, I… I wasn't expecting that. I… I thought you'd never want to…"

"So is that a 'no'?" He joked.

"Of course not, you swamp rat. I love you! Of course, I want to be your wife. I want to be yours forever and ever."

"I knew you would say 'yes'." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, did you, you pretentious little…" She sighed. "I love you, Remy."

"I love you too, chére!"

There on the rooftop, where they had been many times before, they spent the next two hours kissing and cuddling, dreaming out loud, making plans for their future together until they heard the new but at the same time familiar sound coming out of the baby monitor. It definitely came in handy that she was able to fly down and reach her room in a matter of seconds. Baby feeding time!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hey you guys! I hope you have enjoyed the last chapter. What I always had in mind was this, Rogue discovering that she could, in fact, touch all along. But it took true love for her to find it out.

Don't curse me because I haven't talked much about the babies, or that there was no wedding, no mention to the other couples in the story. I'll write an epilogue soon telling all that happened after the proposal.

I'd like to thank all my reviewers who pushed me during this journey that was writing my first fanfiction. You guys have been great, especially: Fostersb, Hopeful Romyantic, Ruroca 57, Pennylane87, PetahParker, Moonlightlilly13, and all the others who took their time and reviewed. Also thanks to anyone who's read it, really! LOL

Also, I'd like to thank Cristina, aka Fireball Fever, my new reviewer, who wrote me an incredible review that motivated me to stop being so lazy and get on with the last chapter.

Please review, people. Reviews are always welcome. I'm planning to write a new story (if pregnancy lets me), also based on the 90s series, so I can always learn from my mistakes here.

Take care you all and thanks again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I erased all notes from this work. There were too many shout outs LOL But I decided to leave this one because it was a special time in my life. Writing this fic was super enjoyable and I had a lot of followers then.


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